Fang and Thorn: Defiance
by shandromand
Summary: Adam Taurus had joined the White Fang because of Blake. When her nature turned too dark for him to ignore, he did the only thing he could - he ran. He now treads a dangerous path, and he will need his team to see it through. All characters of RWBY are owned by Rooster Teeth. This story is for entertainment purposes only.
1. Chapter 1

Foreward: This story was born from a writing prompt - An alternate universe wherein Blake and Adam have traded places. I would greatly appreciate any constructive criticism that you might have to offer. All characters and places are owned by Rooster Teeth Productions, LLC. (Thanks for letting me play in your universe!)

* * *

Adam hadn't ever needed much. Life had taught him the hard way, repeatedly – and often brutally – that anything not required for his immediate survival was merely something that he had to lose. It hadn't been until he met her, Blake Belladonna, that he had wanted something more than the next meal, the next safe place to sleep, the next objective. Blake had changed all of that.

The young woman – perhaps eight or ten years older than him – had caught him picking her pocket. Rather, she tracked him down after the fact. She had cornered him in a dark alleyway, just when he thought he'd pulled it off. When she confronted him, she saw his horns, which stilled whatever furious words she'd planned to lash him with. She had angrily torn the black bow from her head instead, which revealed a pair of cat's ears.

Adam had never made a habit of being selective in his choice of victims beyond the weight of their wallets. Human or Faunus, they were all the same to him: They usually had money, and he did not. He had never been overly fond of his heritage. It was nearly impossible to hide, and invited just as much trouble as his daily scavenging had. A Faunus orphan on the streets of Mistral made him alternately invisible, or worse, a target. He felt no special bond with his 'people', who often treated him with the same disregard that humans did.

Blake's anger had been palpable, but rather than scold or thrash him, she convinced him to follow her instead. She and several others had a camp on the outskirts of the city. He had reservations, but when he hesitated, she offered him a night's food and shelter. All she had asked for in return was his willing ear. He wasn't really sure he had a choice, but she had made it seem that way. She hadn't even demanded the return of her wallet, or beat him up and taken it back. She returned to where the alley met the street and re-tied her bow casually. The evening traffic whispered past as Adam cautiously joined her; a rare sense of curiosity got the better of him.

"What's your name?" she asked as he came to stand beside her.

"Adam Taurus." She nodded and they turned to face one another. Her amber eyes looked down into his.

"Blake. My name is Blake Belladonna." She seemed to expect a reaction from him. When he merely nodded, her eyes twinkled as if she were pleased. "Well, come on then, let's go."

The camp turned out to be just as she had said, though Adam had not expected it to be so large. There were several dozen tents, which were scattered around numerous campfires. Everyone they passed paid her respect, either with a short bow or a brief touch of fingers to foreheads. She called greetings to some and acknowledged the rest with a polite wave. The pace she set conveyed that she had business to be about, and so none stopped her for anything more.

The tent Blake led him to was actually a pavilion, and Adam was surprised to see that she was likely the only occupant. There were only her possessions in evidence, but it was furnished simply. One side held a camp cot with a couple of folded blankets, a small book case stuffed to bursting, and a wash-basin that could hold a modest amount of water. A large table dominated the space on the other side. It held maps and various papers, scrolls and books. Some were weighted down with books or rocks, while others were piled in stacks off to the side.

She prepared a cold meal of fruits, meats, and bread for the both of them with her own hands. They sat on the ground, on a blanket she had spread out over the grass. He expected a scolding for stealing from his own people, but it never came. Rather than berate Adam, she told him a story about a little girl who struggled much as he had. It was hard for him to take her seriously at first, because she hadn't been a homeless street urchin. Her home and family may have been squalid and harsh, but at least she'd had something. She seemed to be doing pretty good for herself now – however humble she might appear to be. He did listen, though; they were only words, and the food was good – and clean. He would never be able to remember quite when his mind changed, but by the time she had finished speaking, he had lost his appetite. The meal tasted like ashes: Bitterness had crept into his palate as her recounting echoed with all-too familiar memories of his own.

Blake allowed him to sit and think while she cleared away the leftovers, and then offered him a chance to ask questions. The silence that followed was not awkward, but he couldn't think of anything to say. When that became evident, she spoke of her plans. The leadership of the White Fang was going to change soon. New ideas were needed; the Faunus were not, and had never been treated as equals.

The current way of doing things simply was not getting results – picket lines and boycotts were fine in theory, but they had accomplished next to nothing in practice. It was imperative that more drastic actions take place, something to show the humans that the Faunus were better as allies than enemies. She had been given a chance to see what she could build on her own, and this camp was the result so far.

It wasn't just a home; it was the beginnings of a revolution.

The Faunus could wait for true equality until the stars burned out, or they could fight for it. Blake and her followers were going to send a message, one of many filled with righteous thunder and fury. The humans _would_ listen to them, one way or the other. By the time she relented, the hour had grown late. She offered Adam a choice: He could go, unchallenged – he could even keep the money that he'd stolen from her – or he could stay and help her fight for a better future.

Here was a woman who really cared nothing at all for herself. The dark-haired woman had (if she was telling the truth) given up an easier, more comfortable life for this one. She desperately wanted their kind to be treated better than second class citizens. Adam understood the burning need in her eyes. There had been plenty of nights – some very recently – where he'd gone to sleep with a terrible gnawing in his belly. She might have plenty of food, but her hunger was no different than his. He could almost believe her.

"Think on your life thus far, Adam Taurus. Is that all you can imagine for yourself?" She stood to and moved to leave, and when he went to join her, she forestalled him with a raised hand. "Sit. Think. _Rest_. You can give me your answer in the morning." And then she smiled at him, gesturing to a folded camp cot. "My tent is yours for what remains of this night," and then she left without another word.

Adam did as she bade, and even then part of him didn't want to trust her. He had been taken in by false kindness before, and had paid for it dearly in pain and blood. Blake had offered to show him the way, or at least a better one than picking pockets and rooting through the garbage of mankind. He was never much of a fighter. Even when cornered he was often too weak to take on the larger and stronger victims that caught him. Would he be trading one set of worries for another? The thoughts and doubts tumbled through his mind as he tried and failed to sleep.

When the sun had begun to peek through the tent flap, he emerged to see Blake at a nearby campfire. She was talking quietly with a pair of wolf-eared Faunus. He approached, but waited a short distance away from them, and pondered all that had happened in the last day. No one had bothered him, or tried to hurt him, or take advantage of him. Nobody appeared to be lurking in wait to stop him if he decided to leave. The woman appeared, for the moment, to have been honest with him.

He may not have had any questions for her last night, but he had one now. Once she was free, she waved him over to join her. She had promised to make him strong, and he wanted to know what she meant by that. She explained that if he chose to stay, she would give him a seed of power: She would awaken his Aura, and if he decided to stay, she would do it then and there.

That revelation stopped his mind in its tracks: The mythical powers of the Huntsmen. He didn't know much about them, but he had seen enough to know they were real. It was a shock to learn that not only did Blake have it, but that she could help him to have that power too. He had a million questions, but the temptation was too much.

He chose, and she kept her word.

When it was done, he brought out the wallet and held it up to her. It was a simple thing of leather, with only a single decoration – a child's drawing of a cat's face burned into the material. There was only a hint of reluctance on his part, but fair was fair. They'd made a deal and she had kept her end up. She knelt and pressed it between his palms, and then folded her hands around his.

"This is yours now, Adam. I expect you to earn it with hard work and loyalty. Do you understand?" He did, but saying so didn't seem like enough. He took a chance and wrapped her in a fierce hug, which elicited surprised bubbles of laughter from her. She returned the embrace, and from that moment, he was hers. None had ever been so kind to him for as long as he could remember, and he swore to himself that he would do anything for her.

That night brought the best sleep he'd had since he ran away from the orphanage all those years ago. His newly awakened aura thrummed within him; it was almost euphoric. Even when Blake later warned him that she would push him to his limits, he did not waver. In the years that followed, he faced many challenges. Training his newfound skills and executing, then later commanding raids were the hardest things he'd done in his life. When it seemed too overwhelming, he persevered because Blake believed in him. He had promised to work hard, and she held him to that.

Adam never had a friend before, and had never bothered to imagine what it might be like. She had changed that for him; she often took personal charge of his training, made time to teach him new ways to bend his mind, body and spirit to the demanding tasks she expected of him. At times it could be harsh, but her methods were a mixture of silent encouragement and stark reality. He came to understand the value of ideals. She also pushed him to think critically for himself. If he had any particularly good ideas, she would make it happen.

Most importantly, though, he learned how to fight. He was exposed to a plethora of weapons and styles. Some were easier than others, but nothing compared to the Aura training. Having it and using it were two very different things, and it took Adam what felt like ages to do anything reliable with it. By the time he had gained control of his power, two years had gone by. Blake was pleased with his progress, and felt that he was ready to learn from a true master. It would keep them apart for weeks at a time, but he did it for her sake.

He had never heard of Beryl Skrin, but Blake made certain that he treated the fox Faunus with respect. Master Skrin was an even harder taskmaster than Blake. The training she gave him would leave him exhausted, but he made impressive leaps forward in both armed combat and even greater control of his Aura.

Adam was near his coming of age when he started to notice a subtle shift in Blake's personality. She had become increasingly agitated and quicker to anger. He worried that she wasn't getting enough rest, but chose to trust her judgment. The work they were doing was important; sometimes sacrifices had to be made. Being the leader of over two hundred people came with a great deal of stress. It was understandable if she got frustrated once in a while.

That was what he told himself, anyway.

It wasn't until she had killed a Huntsman that he'd grown concerned enough to speak of it with her. It had been a nasty shock: In all their time together, no lives had ever been taken. The look she gave him when he confronted her made his heart sink. It was one of anger, and now it was directed at him. He pleaded for her to understand that murder would only hurt their cause. She did eventually relent, and reassured him with a gentle touch and quiet words. It had happened in the heat of battle, and the Huntsman had not been holding back. She promised to be more careful in the future.

There were more incidents, and their talks became disagreements. Blake might have preferred that he wouldn't question her, but she had given him too many years of allowing him to speak his mind. Arguments followed, which became increasingly heated. Their latest bout had ended in a shouting match. He loved her, but he was afraid that she was losing herself to blind rage. The words had rung in the woods, and she looked utterly shocked, as if she'd been slapped. She turned and walked away from him without a word: They didn't speak for days.

Had it all been a mistake? He would angrily shake his head each time he his thoughts returned to the question. Adam had been with the revolutionaries for nearly eight years and, until lately, things had gone better than he could have imagined. He knew that Blake was a good person, deep down. It showed in the thoughtful actions she took. She ensured that the children of the camp were the first to eat, and saw to the needs of the wounded or sick – often personally. Time and again she put her – _their_ people – before herself. Her recent gift to him, a masterfully crafted weapon, had even been forged at great personal sacrifice. It was his most treasured possession, something he could never have hoped to own as a street rat.

On the fourth night of their estrangement, Blake finally sought him out – a first for her after one of their spats. She found him perched up in a tree in the Forever Fall forest. He was leaned against the smooth bark and staring up at the sky through a parting of branches in the canopy. The shattered face of the moon had just risen into view when he heard her footsteps. She had learned that, as much as he trusted her, it was unwise to sneak up on Adam when he was brooding.

He slipped the mask down to cover his eyes before she could see the sunken, raw flesh around them. He had never liked the damned thing, but he had worn it for missions. It was important to Blake, so he had taken it up for her sake. He didn't bother with it around the camps, even though many of his brothers and sisters chose to. The last few days he had made an exception: He didn't want to appear weak, especially not in front of Blake.

The mask also served another purpose; it kept questions from onlookers at bay. Adam might be young, but he was her right hand, and the camp had sensed the tension between them. His act of putting it on was a signal that he was in no mood for idle talk. The few left who remembered him as a scrawny boy; they respected him enough to discourage newcomers from interfering or making comments. He may not have cared for the mask, but it was proving useful now.

Adam heard her semblance flash as she leaped to join him on the branch. She stood in profile to him for a moment, staring up into the sky. He wondered what she had been thinking these last few days. When Blake turned to face him, her expression was unreadable. That usually meant that she would start the conversation with an apology, followed by an attempt to justify her actions. This time she didn't speak at all, and moved to sit beside him instead. He scooted over to make as much room as possible, but they were rubbing shoulders to keep from falling off.

Several minutes passed in silence before she spoke. "I hate it when we fight, Adam." Her regret sounded genuine, but there was something else in her voice, too.

"I don't like it either." He didn't know what else to say to her. He had already said too much as it was. The entire camp had heard it, no doubt. He'd been replaying that moment in his mind, had lost sleep over it – even now he cringed inwardly at the memory. There was little doubt that it _hadn't_ been heard. Nobody spoke of it, not to him, at least, which only made him feel even more chagrined. He was sure he'd gone entirely too far.

He didn't flinch when she reached to turn his face toward hers, though he resisted for a moment when she started to remove the mask. Once she could see his eyes, she surprised him with a question. "Did you mean it?" she asked. His breath froze in his throat. Her voice was as devoid of emotion as her face, a warning sign he'd learned to spot. She sat patiently while he considered how to answer her.

"Which part? The fact that your temper is starting to scare me, or-"

"Do you really love me, Adam?" Her amber eyes gave him nothing but the question she had posed.

He bowed his head and nodded. He didn't look away out of shame, but rather because he knew what was coming. She was his mentor, and his friend, but she was also his leader. She didn't have time for romance – not that he had any idea how to go about it, even if she had. The awful words never came. Minutes passed in agonizing slowness. It was a worse torment than the rejection he was about to hear.

Instead of refusing him or leaving, Blake laced her fingers between his. She continued to say nothing; she lifted his arm and settled it around her shoulders, and then laid her head against his chest. Her ear whiskers brushed against his neck when she settled in. He went still as stone and cursed his racing heart in silent frustration. She tried to speak a few times, but couldn't decide where to begin. He didn't know what to say either, but dared to rest his cheek against the top of her head. The moon had risen out of sight, obscured by the leaves and branches. When Blake finally spoke, it had been at least an hour.

"It's been so long since I've wanted anything for myself, Adam. I want to talk about this. We _will_ talk about this – but right now we need to focus on the mission tomorrow. We also need our rest." It was better than he'd hoped for. "Come on, let's go home." She sat up and brushed her lips across his cheek, leaving a trail of warmth that spread to the rest of his body. As her mouth drew near his ear, she whispered four words that both thrilled and terrified him.

"My tent is yours," and her meaning could not have been more clear.

He wanted very much to give her the benefit of the doubt. Love was supposed to mean accepting someone, including the flaws, wasn't it?

* * *

How did it all get so wrong? Adam had been troubled before; now he was despondent. The train had pulled into the Vale transit gate, and he scarcely noticed. Blake had tried to go too far. Again. There had been _children_ on board. It didn't matter to him if they were human or not. He could have tried to get them out, but she had already set the charges. He loved her, but they would never be able to build anything together, not at the cost of innocent lives. There hadn't been time for anything else: He sabotaged the mission and left her behind. Maybe she would see that what she was becoming had driven him away. It was a faint hope.

He was at a loss for what to do once the train had arrived. Vale security had been laughably easy to evade, but now that he was back in the city, he felt adrift. The many years with Blake and the White Fang had given him purpose. Street thievery just wasn't something he could or wanted to return to. He wandered the city for hours with no particular destination in mind while he considered his next move. There had to be a way to reach her, to help her understand that she was out of control. Running away probably – no, it absolutely wasn't the best start, but it was all he'd been able to come up with.

When Adam found himself on the edge of Vale, the sun was low in the sky. He sat on an empty dock piling, and could see the green lights of Beacon Tower as they glinted in the distance. He knew about the school, but had never actually been there, or even seen it until now. Looking at it reminded him of the Huntsman that Blake had killed. The raid that the nameless man had interrupted had been one in a series of hit and run tactics. Fear was a powerful tool, but the plan had ultimately backfired; the man had been hired to put an end to their attacks. Adam vividly recalled the look of pain and shock on his face when she had stuck the final blow.

He closed his eyes, shame filling his throat with bile. He had only been trying to help the people targeted by the White Fang. He looked across the water and stared hard at that tower, the vision blurred by unshed tears. There was a debt of blood owed. Adam had no idea if there was any family to miss Blake's victim, and the beginnings of an idea formed. As the thoughts turned over in his mind, he continued to stare at Beacon.

He wanted to make life for his people better. That had been the whole point of joining the White Fang. The mission was the same, but it was taking a darker path. He could try to go back, but he could only see that ending badly. Blake had definite ideas about what they needed to do in order to achieve their goals - deserters were severely punished. Maybe there was another way. He made up his mind and made his way back to the commercial district.

* * *

"Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade, home to every book under the sun." Adam had never met the man, but he knew the name. Tukson wasn't an active member of the White Fang, but he was a sympathizer. He had a reputation for being able to procure just about anything. If he didn't have it, he knew where to get it. It was a risk coming to him, but there weren't many other options. "Can I help you find something?"

"I'm looking for Third Crusade. Can you lead me to it?" It was the last coded phrase in use, and thankfully it hadn't been changed yet. Tukson drew his index and pinkie fingers across the back of his hand. Adam grasped his left thumb with three fingers, while also tapping the back of his hand with the right index finger. That meant that he was here incognito, and that only the two of them were to be aware of anything discussed. Anyone else involved was to have as little information as possible.

"Of course – I have just what you're looking for. Wait here a moment." He stepped around the counter and moved to the front of the store. He drew the shades, locked the door, and flipped the sign to indicate that the shop was closed for the evening. There had been no customers other than Adam. Looking around, he could see that Tukson probably had few of them. The store was a front for the less legitimate business, though the man did trade in rare volumes.

"What will it be?" he asked as he returned to the counter. He waved for Adam to follow him into the back of the store. He joined the shopkeeper as the man pulled aside a curtain and entered a short hallway. It led to a storage room filled with shelves and boxes of books. The musty smell of paper filled his nostrils, and Adam smiled bitterly; Blake would have loved this room.

"I need clean papers and an application processed for Beacon Academy." Tukson stopped walking and turned to look at him in surprise. He didn't ask why – the man was smarter than that, at least. He had already decided to tell him only as much as he needed to know. "Can you do it or not?" If he couldn't, Adam would be forced to speak with the Headmaster directly, which would complicate matters. It might even defeat the purpose of his plan altogether – he didn't know enough about Professor Ozpin to be certain that it would be a productive conversation.

"I know a man, but that will take some doing. Do you have a place to stay for a day or two?" Adam shook his head. He had some money, but doubted it would be enough to rent a room and purchase the things he would need as a student. "Alright, you can bunk here. I'll need to leave in order to make the arrangements. Help yourself to whatever you need, but please don't open the glass cases." He indicated two sealed bookcases near the back of the room. "There's food in the fridge, and a cot upstairs, second door on the right. It isn't much, but it's probably better than the camps." He scanned the room and spotted the stairs past the forbidden book cases. He pointed to show that he knew where it was.

"Thank you," he said.

"I'll be gone for a couple of hours. When I get back, we'll need to make an appointment with a tailor." Adam looked down at his black and red attire in confusion. What was wrong with what he had? "School's got a dress code. You'll need a uniform." Ah.

"That could be a problem. I have limited resources." This was proving to be more involved than he'd expected.

Tukson waved a hand and shook his head. "Don't worry about it, then. Rare trades were good this month, and I have favors owed. Uniforms are pretty cheap, even if they have to be custom ordered. The papers won't cost anything. What name do you want on them?"

"Adam Taurus." There wasn't much point in hiding his name. He'd never been identified during his time with Blake and the White Fang. He doubted that anyone would remember – or care – about a Faunus child disappearing from Mistral more than ten years ago. It happened all the time. Tukson had him stand in front of a green drop cloth so he could take photos with an expensive looking camera. Once that had been done, the man left to meet his forger.

Adam didn't feel particularly tired or hungry, so he occupied his time by perusing the books. He had never appreciated them as much as Blake had. When she had learned that he couldn't read, she insisted that he have a proper education. Stupid White Fang members often ended up captured or dead, which would not do. He picked up a random volume occasionally, leafing through pages without really paying attention – a habit that had given Blake fits of exasperation. He was on the verge of giving his browsing up in favor of meditation when a familiar title caught his eye.

Blake knew that Adam had little patience for fiction, yet she had all but gushed excitement for The Man with Two Souls, a copy of it now in his hands. Maybe it would provide him some insight into her mind? 'Know your opponent' was a favored lesson of hers. The thought made him pause in grief. Was that what they were now? He didn't want to think of her that way, but the eyes that had glared at him that morning had not been the same person he'd been with the night before. He _needed_ to understand what had driven her over the edge: There had to be a way to bring her back. He took the book back to the stairs and sat down to read.

The book told the tale of Darius Gray and the struggle between his desire to be a good man or give in to his darker nature. Adam frowned after he had turned the first few pages. The author never clearly stated that the character was a Faunus, but the negative implication came up more than once. Was the writer a racist? He continued to the end of the first chapter and snapped the book shut in frustration. Why would she read this garbage, much less enjoy it? It bore further thought, but he wasn't in the right frame of mind for it right now. He stood with a growl and stumped up the stairs, but he took the book with him.

The room, as promised, held a basic camp cot, as well as a padded leather chair and small table. The floor was bare wood, and the walls were unpainted stone, one of which held a pair of paintings. The room was otherwise empty, but it would serve well enough. He laid the book on the table and sat on the floor in the middle of the room. He then took his weapon and laid it across his knees, finally closing his eyes and stilling his thoughts.

* * *

When Tukson returned, Adam had not moved. He remotely noticed when his host looked into the room, but the man chose not to interrupt his contemplation. He had used the time to reflect on nothing, pushing the questions and heartbreak from his active thoughts. Sometimes answers or insight would come from the aether, but none had materialized. It had also been harder this time; with all that had happened, the turmoil of the day had finally caught up to him. He'd found his center, but it had taken much longer than usual.

Adam eventually had to give in to the need for food, but at least he was calmer than he had been before. He rose smoothly and made his way to the kitchen area long enough to grab an apple and some kind of dried meat strips. He then made his way downstairs as he ate. He wanted to find out what else needed to be done in preparation for his continued education. Tukson looked up from where he was sorting boxes and gave him a thumbs-up.

"We're in luck. My associate was in the middle of a similar piece of work, so he should be done with yours some time tomorrow." Adam replied with a hum as he chewed, and Tukson resumed his box shuffling. He found what he was looking for a few minutes later. He opened the box and started pulling out tomes, which Adam viewed with disinterest. He knew schoolbooks when he saw them. "You'll be wanting these – I've got most of the first-year subjects." He flipped open a couple to show that they had been marked with notes. That would be useful, provided that the previous owner hadn't been a complete idiot.

"The tailor you'll see tomorrow," Tukson said as he pulled out a business card. "She'll be ready for you any time in the morning." Adam took it, looked at the details and pocketed it. He listened patiently as the man gave him the basics of the identity being set up for him. His outfit didn't exactly shout Vacuo, but it didn't really matter. The cooler climate of Vale would necessitate warmer clothing than was usually worn in the desert kingdom.

Adam took the time to get what details he could about the staff at Beacon, of whom Tukson knew a surprising amount. He also made Adam aware that while records would show him as having passed the entrance exams, he would still need to go through the school's initiation. The bookkeeper's description made it sound simple enough; he had faced far worse during his time with the White Fang.

The next two days were occupied with getting his uniform, papers, and other necessities. After that it was just a matter of time before the airship would carry him to the school. When the day arrived, he did his best to ignore the tiny voice in his head that said this was a bad idea.


	2. Chapter 2

Adam stood apart from the other students when the airship took off. He took a place by the window and observed them in the reflection as he appeared to stare out across the city. Tukson had warned him that Beacon trained their students in teams of four, which he dimly remembered hearing about a long time ago. He hadn't expected that the teams would share quarters, and that it was potentially co-ed. The thought did not appeal; he was used to a certain amount of personal space. It wasn't too late, he supposed. He could always dive out of the compartment and swim back to Vale. The flight was uneventful, though he did take note of a blonde kid suffering from a bout of air sickness. Hopefully he wouldn't be paired up with _that_ one.

The flight wasn't a long one. Adam snorted at Professor Goodwitch's speech about an 'incredible' time of peace. He hadn't experience much of that so-called peace in the last several years. Then again, he was partially to blame for it, so maybe that wasn't much of an argument after all. He waited for everyone else to disembark after docking before exiting the craft himself. The grounds were well manicured and clean. People milled about the walkways, but most were making their way to the concert hall. He was about to join his fellow students when a pair of girls started arguing. Well, one of them was arguing, anyway. He slowed his steps and stopped short.

Adam recognized Weiss Schnee immediately. The Schnee Dust company was a frequent target for the White Fang. He was certain that the heiress was safe enough here at Beacon, but was surprised that her family had allowed her to come in the first place. He didn't recognize the other girl. She was clad in a red and black combat skirt, matching boots, and wore a bright red cape. He knew the look of embarrassment that came with the scolding, which she was currently on the receiving end of. The Schnee girl had taken a bottle from one of the many cases strewn about the ground. She was shaking it to emphasize her point, causing a cloud of red dust spread. He took a step back when the dark-haired girl ignited it with a sneeze.

The Fire Dust bottle came sailing out of the cloud of smoke. He couldn't get clear in time, so he leaned forward caught it. The snow-haired girl continued to berate the other girl, who tried to apologize. The tongue lashing continued, and the more Adam listened, the more convinced he became that she was little more than a spoiled brat. The dark-haired girl finally stood up for herself as he approached.

"Hey, I said I was sorry, _princess!_ " Schnee opened her mouth to continue her tirade, but Adam had heard quite enough.

"Actually, she's _not_ a princess. I can understand your confusion, though." They both turned to look at him. "Weiss Schnee, heiress-apparent to the Schnee Dust Company."

"Finally, some recognition!" she said with a haughty flip of her hair. Oh, he might be here to repay a debt, but her family had just as much – probably more – to answer for.

"I wouldn't be so proud of that. Your family's wealth has been built on the backs of virtual slave labor, hand in hand with some rather… _questionable_ partners." Her eyes widened in shock, then narrowed as they drifted up to his horns. If she had a retort, she wisely kept it to herself. She chose instead to hold out her hand.

"My Dust, if you please." He looked down at the bottle, then tossed it up into the air a couple of times. Her eyes widened slightly as they followed it up and down. Good – at least she had _some_ sense.

"Finders keepers, Ice Queen," he said. She grunted in disgust. "If you can't manage to hold on to your things, then you shouldn't be surprised when someone else comes along and takes them." Her eyes had narrowed again, but her jaw had dropped open in utter shock. He doubted anyone had ever spoken to her like that in her entire pampered life. "I'll tell you what, though: If you apologize to…" he looked at the young girl. She had been staring at him, but gave herself a shake.

"Oh! Ruby, Ruby Rose!" She stuck her hand out. He looked at it for a moment before returning his gaze to the Schnee girl. Ruby's face reddened as she curled her fingers and shoved it behind her back.

"If you apologize to Ruby for losing your temper over a simple misunderstanding, I might be inclined to return your property." She looked between him and Ruby twice, suspicion written all over her face.

"Of all the nerve!" she spat, spinning on her heel and walking away. Adam shrugged and pocketed the bottle. Ruby turned to shout after her, promising to make it up to the heiress somehow. She started to say something to him, but he had already turned to walk away. That pride was unsurprising, coming from the Schnee girl. The popular rumor was that the whole family were all bigots, and completely unrepentant ones at that. He needed some time to cool off before joining the auditorium, so he made his way down a garden path. He felt a little bad, leaving Ruby hanging like that, but she seemed like a tough kid. She'd get over it.

The orientation meeting had gone about like he had expected it would. Brief and dull, though the Headmaster did try to impress on the student the importance of knowing the difference between knowing something and putting it into practice. Some probably found it insulting to be referred to as wasted energy, but Adam understood what the man had been trying to say.

They were released with the suggestion that they familiarize themselves with the campus, which he full took advantage of. There were quite a few buildings. He located the dormitories, but did not go inside, and did the same with the classrooms. The library was a massive affair, and he spent most of the morning inside. This would have been a favorite place for Blake, he was certain. In addition to the seemingly endless rows of bookshelves, there were also Link terminals, but he had no way to access them until he was issued a scroll.

Adam ate his midday meal alone, and found his way to the orientation hall afterward. Several tables with staff members sitting at them were spread out in a line. Professor Port was a boisterous man, and kept a running story going as students came up to get schedules. He seemed completely unperturbed by the fact that none of them stuck around to listen to his tale of heroism. Adam followed everyone else's example and found the schedule with his name, giving the professor a polite nod before moving on. Professor Port returned the gesture without interrupting his story – not that he needed to. His voice carried across the hall loud enough for everyone to hear.

The next table held notebooks containing the collected syllabi for each of the classes, as well as the required reading and textbooks. Professor Peach took the time to patiently explain how to cross-reference the lists to each group of students that gathered in front of her. He went through the process when it was his turn and found a few books that he would need to acquire, but everything he needed could be found in the school library.

Professor Oobleck was at the following table, though fewer students went to it. When Adam stepped up, the _doctor_ let loose a rapid fire barrage of words that he was barely able to follow as he slid a scroll forward, explaining in quick succession that it would allow him access the terminals in the library, as well as his dormitory room once it was assigned. He also cautioned the young man that scrolls were not allowed along during the initiation. That last part surprised him, but he gave an inward shrug and moved on to the last table.

Glynda Goodwitch sat beside Headmaster Ozpin, both of whom spoke with each student individually. The line was considerably longer than the others, and the queue was marked several dozen feet away. By the time Adam had his turn, the afternoon had come and gone. He soon discovered the reason for the added privacy.

"Ah, Mister Taurus, a pleasure to meet you, at last," Professor Ozpin said while reaching out his hand. Adam grasped it firmly and pumped his hand once. "Glynda will just check over your paperwork and make sure that everything is in order. How do you find the school?" He was a pleasant man, but Adam wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible. The less he stood out, the happier he would be.

"It's very tidy, sir, and impressive. The library is particularly interesting. I have a friend back home who could get lost in there for days." He put on a brief smile and hoped that would be enough to satisfy their curiosity. Professor Goodwitch flipped through her tablet and marked off items as she got his confirmation for each.

"And how is Vacuo these days? I have so little time for travel." Adam had rehearsed his cover story with Tukson for several days once he'd returned with it. He'd hoped that it wouldn't be necessary, but this would be good practice for anyone else who pressed him about his so-called past.

"It's pretty hot, and things are always a little crazy, sir – but nothing we can't handle. I spent most of the last year in the wilderness, preparing to attend Beacon, so recent news isn't something I have much of." The headmaster nodded and took a sip from his mug while Adam spoke.

"Indeed. I notice that you don't look as though you come from the desert kingdom. In fact, you look more Mistrali. Were you a transplant?" Adam didn't manage to hide the grimace, but his false identity would explain that.

"I'm an orphan, sir. I could be from there as far anyone knows," he said, shrugging a shoulder uncomfortably. He'd been pleased to find that this was part of the story. The closer a lie was to truth the easier it was to wear it. He was prepared to give the headmaster more details, but thankfully Professor Goodwitch stalled the conversation with a light touch on his forearm.

"Everything seems to be in order, Mister Taurus. However, I see that you didn't fill out the Semblance entry. Are you unaware of what it is?" Adam shook his head. He had been reluctant to tell anyone, but now that he was standing in front of them, it seemed like a bad idea to lie about something so important.

"I wanted to tell you directly, rather than write it down. It's damage empowerment." The two professors looked at one another briefly.

"I see. What does it empower you to do?" This was the part that worried him. Blake had been the only one willing to spar with him once they had figured out what made him special. Her clones could take the damage, but few enough of the White Fang members even had an active aura, let alone the abilities or skills that would keep them from getting hurt.

"It's external aura negation – it allows me to overwhelm other peoples' defenses. I know it's dangerous, but I've been very careful with it." He raised a gloved hand, palm up. If either of them were shocked, they hid it well. Most people gave him fearful looks when they found out. Had it not been for Blake's total disregard for the danger, his semblance would have isolated him completely. Professor Goodwitch typed out a note on her pad and gave him a serious look as she pushed her glasses up.

"Whether you've been careful in the past or not, we will need to discuss this at length before you'll be allowed to participate in combat training with other students." He indicated that he understood without saying anything. He also noted that while she had mentioned other students, she had said nothing at all about the staff. Headmaster Ozpin had no comment to make, but was peering over his glasses at him thoughtfully. She finished up her paperwork and wished him luck on the initiation. Professor Ozpin gave him a reassuring nod.

"Welcome to Beacon, young man." Adam thanked them both, relieved that the exchange was finally over. He chose to take a simple meal of meats and cheeses from the cafeteria and have at least some peace and quiet in one of the gardens. Occasionally other students would pass, but they all left him alone.

He wondered what Blake would think of all this as he ate. For all the inequality they had seen and fought against together, none was in evidence here at Beacon. He had seen fewer of his own kind, perhaps, but there had been enough of them. More importantly, everyone mingled – himself notwithstanding. Humans and Faunus seemed to get along at the school just fine. It had only been one day, of course, but it was hard to deny that, at least here prejudice seemed nonexistent.

When the evening waned into darkness, he found his things and went into the ballroom to settle down for the night. He tried reading the book again to pass the time before lights out. It was interrupted by a singsong 'hello' that came from a blonde bombshell of a girl. She had Ruby in tow.

"I believe you two may know each other." Adam still wasn't really appreciating the book, but he would rather keep trying than face the prospect of talking to two teenage girls. He didn't want to be rude, though. If he kept his answers short, maybe they would go away.

"Indeed we do," he glanced over at the girl. "Ruby," he said, inclining his head. He looked down at the pages. The blonde and Ruby muttered something to one another before the blonde turned back to him, smile plastered on her face.

"So, what's your name?" she asked. She was _entirely_ too cheerful. He glanced up with a short puff of air.

"Adam." He knew that this conversation wasn't going to be over any time soon, so he turned the book over and laid it across his knee. The blonde introduced herself, pointing a thumb at her chest.

"Well, Adam, I'm Yang – Ruby's older sister!" She paused, momentarily uncertain of what to say next. "I like your gloves!" This was going to get old fast. Correction: This had just gotten old and needed a cane. Adam decided that a different tactic would probably work better. He put on a giant grin and raised his eyebrows.

"You really think so? Thanks!" He sent a silent prayer upward. How on Remnant did they do this? It made him feel dirty. Yang interpreted it as sarcasm, and cast it right back in his teeth.

"Yeah! It really completes the whole edgy look you're going for. Black and red are Ruby's colors too. Maybe you can give her some pointers later." Ruby glared at Yang and then elbowed her in the ribs.

"Shut up, Yang!" Adam couldn't help but laugh a little. These two were trouble, but he could see Yang as fun to hang out with if she didn't act like a complete sprig _all_ the time.

"That's more like it." Yang took Ruby's jab like it happened often. "Do you like it here so far?" There was that cheer again. How the hell did she do it? He put the fake happiness back into his reply, letting it slide into monotone.

"It's fantastic! Almost as much as this book."

"Is your book _really_ that good?"

"No, Yang, not really, but it's important that I finish it before class work takes over my life." He lifted the book and turned it back over, hoping it would signal the end of the conversation. Ruby wasn't quite ready to go.

"What's it about?" The question caught him off guard and he looked up from it. There was no fake smile, and her interest sounded honest. When he didn't answer, she elaborated. "Your book – does it have a name?" he closed it around a finger to keep his place and held it up for her to see. "The Man with Two Souls? Like he's a crazy person or something?" She had a look of confusion on her face.

"That's probably closer to the truth than the author intended. It seems to be about him struggling with the nature of duality, light and dark, each fighting for dominance over his body." He looked at it in frustration. "It also seems a little racist." He _really_ didn't like it, but he wanted finish it. Darius Gray was being confronted with a choice forced upon him, in a situation he didn't want to be involved in, but was helpless to avoid. Did Blake feel that way?

"Oh yeah, that's… real fantastic," Yang said, doubt coloring her tone. Ruby took a step forward.

"I love books. Yang used to read to me every night before bed." Adam lifted an eyebrow, but smiled just a little. He'd never had anyone do that for him as a child, but found the idea… appealing. The orphanage didn't do that kind of thing, but their caretakers had made sure they all learned their letters and words. "Stories of heroes and monsters – they're one of the reasons I wanna be a Huntress."

"Oh? Why is that?" he asked. "Are you looking for some kind of happy ending?" There were plenty of monsters out there, but not many happy endings.

"Well I'm hoping we all will," she replied. "As a girl, I always wanted to be just like those heroes in the books: As someone who fought for what was right, and protected people who couldn't defend themselves." It wasn't a sentiment he had shared in his own childhood; he had been too concerned with survival. Still, Ruby spoke in earnest, and he believed her resolve.

"Admirable. But this is the real world – it's rarely like the books your sister read to you."

"Well that's why we're here – to make it better." She smiled, and Yang gushed excitement.

"Oh I'm so proud of my baby sister!" She bent down and picked Ruby up by the waist, hugging her fiercely and making cooing noises. Ruby grunted as her sister swung her around like a rag doll.

"Ack! Cut it out, Yang!" she yelled. She struggled and the two began rough-housing and making a lot of noise. Adam closed the book and set it aside. Their antics were funny, but he doubted he was going to get any more reading done.

"Well, Ruby, Yang, it was nice mee-"

"What in the world is going on over here?" the Schnee girl said loudly as she stalked up, ramrod straight and fists clenched. The sisters stopped their fighting, Ruby clutching Yang by one ankle as her sister flailed her arms to keep her balance. "Don't you realize some of us are trying to sleep?" Her eyes settled on Yang and widened. Ruby dropped her sister's foot.

"Oh not you again!" they shouted at one another. Ruby raised a finger to her lips.

"Shh! Guys, she's right, people are trying to sleep," she said, looking around at the other students. Most hadn't bothered moving, but a few had propped themselves up. Expressions ranged from annoyance to mild amusement. Adam saw Lien changing hands between a pair of boys. These people were all insane. Compared to the all-business-all-the-time nature of the White Fang camps, it _was_ a little more fun.

"Oh, _now_ you're on my side," Weiss said with sarcasm. Oh, so the girl has more emotional repertoire than snob and frostbite? Adam pinched one of the candle wicks.

"I was always on your side!" Ruby retorted in annoyance. He snuffed out another flame as he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, what's your problem with my sister?!" Yang groused. "She's only trying to be nice!" Weiss stuck out her arms and stamped a bare foot.

"She's a hazard to my health!" He leaned down and blew out the last candle.

 **A/N - Okay, okay, I lied. This chapter was a lot easier to write than I thought it would be. Easier than the next chapter of Dust and Motes, anyway. I've decided that unlike that story, this one will follow canon as much as you can expect for a character swap. There will be some mirroring of dialogue, but I expect that will decrease over the life of the story. I'll be releasing chapters based on the episodes, and once I catch up, we'll all have to wait for new chapters. As always, thanks for reading, and please feel free to leave a message - I do like hearing from you guys (even if it's constructive criticism).**


	3. Chapter 3

Adam woke early; he had always been an early riser. He had showered and dressed before most of the other students were even awake, and was able to enjoy breakfast in relative silence. The staff, of course, had been awake even before he had risen to meet the day. They all gave him polite greetings, which he returned. They picked up on his desire for solitude and left it at that. He was sure it was a common occurrence on initiation day, which he was grateful for.

Adam had finished putting his tray and plates away as students were starting to filter in for their own meals. He heard bits of conversation here and there. Most of them were concerned with initiation and teams. He had no real plan of his own, even knowing what to expect. There were a few students he hadn't wanted to be paired with, but he was confident of his ability to avoid them. He left the cafeteria behind and walked toward the cliffs at a leisurely pace.

When he arrived, he found that no one else had come ahead of him, not even staff. He stood staring down into the forest, certain that Grimm could be found within. They had never bothered him; as a child he'd been insulated from the monsters by the city. By the time he had joined the White Fang, his training had already begun over a year prior to having to deal with any Grimm. He had been fighting them when it was necessary before he'd even reached his teen years.

The view was nice, but did nothing to prepare him. He took advantage of the lack of people to limber up and practice strikes while he waited. He applied a little less force than he would in actual combat. He didn't want to tire himself before the initiation had begun. He also refrained from using Blush to launch Wilt. He had a small supply of Dust shells, but needed to conserve them as much as possible. Students had access to many things at Beacon, but they were still responsible for acquiring their own munitions. Adam would likely have to find odd jobs to pay for things as the school year progressed.

Adam had started a series of rapid-draw, strike and re-sheath katas. When he pivoted to do a back slash, Wilt clanged against a cane – Professor Ozpin's cane, in fact. Adam took a shocked step back and sheathed the sword with a snap. How had he not heard the man?

"Professor Ozpin, I'm sorry, sir! I didn't hear you come up." He was genuinely flustered – he shouldn't have been so easy to sneak up on. Professor Ozpin had hooked the cane with his thumb and spread his other fingers in a gesture of calm. He held a mug in his other hand, and looked over his glasses with a mischievous grin.

"No harm done, Mister Taurus. I am a Huntsman, after all. What good would I be if I couldn't be stealthy?" Ah, was he a bit of a prankster? Adam wasn't sure whether to be impressed or afraid. No one else had arrived with him, at least. "That's excellent form, young man. You don't see many Single-Stroke practitioners these days." That was true enough. Blake's fighting style wasn't something he had been able to pick up. "Who did you learn it from?"

"Thank you, Headmaster. I had the honor to learn from Beryl Skrin." Ozpin's eyes narrowed at that revelation. For a moment, Adam worried that he'd given away too much. There were very few masters of the style, though, and he couldn't exactly lie about it. Ozpin gave him an unreadable look, as if choosing his next words carefully.

"I see. I wasn't aware that the old fox had taken any new students under her wing for quite some time." That had been true enough. Master Skrin had very few students, and she had been reluctant to take Adam on as one of her pupils. Blake commanded immense respect from the woman, however, and she had relented at Blake's insistence. "Were I you, young man, I would be careful with whom I shared that detail." He cocked his head sideways and took a casual sip from his mug. If he thought Adam was being dishonest, he said nothing. His expression, however, said volumes otherwise. 'You aren't fooling me, Mister Taurus.' He could practically hear the headmaster say it.

Adam gave a relieved sigh and nodded. It was a mistake he would not repeat. If the man wasn't determined to drag the truth out of him, then so much the better. Students began arriving along with Professor Goodwitch in a steady stream. Professor Ozpin gave him a nod and gestured to one of the launch pads with his mug. Adam took his cue and went to stand on the farthest pad to the left.

Once all the stragglers reached the cliffs and took their places, professor Ozpin spoke in brief.

"For years, you have trained to become warriors. Today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." Professor Goodwitch picked up where he left off.

"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates. Today." Someone far down the line moaned quietly.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon," Ozpin continued. "So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

"What?!" Adam heard someone cry. He couldn't be sure, but it sounded like Ruby. He couldn't keep the wicked grin from his face. The poor thing, she didn't sound pleased at all.

"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way." That wasn't really a surprise to Adam. It wouldn't be a very good test of their skills if all they had to do was stroll through the woods. "Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path, or you _will_ die." There were a few eager chuckles and one or two nervous gulps at this. "You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene." Adam knew this was not actually true. Tukson had said that there were occasional injuries from these events, but there hadn't been a single death since the school's founding. Students that had to be rescued by staff were quietly shipped back home.

"You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?" Someone spoke up, but he cut them off. "Good! Now, take your positions!" Adam barely had time to crouch down and gather his aura before the pad launched him high into the air. The wind screamed by, causing his jacket and pant-legs to flutter and whip around. He had never fallen from quite this great a height, but as the trees raced by far below, he couldn't help feeling exhilarated. He reached the apex of his launch and began rushing down toward the canopy.

Adam spread out arms and legs to maximize his air resistance, but knew that it wouldn't be nearly sufficient enough to slow him down. Sure, he could hit the ground at full speed, but that would tax his aura and leave him very little for the rest of the mission. He started gauging where his descent would take him and found what he was looking for. The Emerald Forest was a mix of deciduous and conifer trees. There was a pine tree to the right of his trajectory, so he folded his arms and legs together, twisting to angle himself toward it head-first.

As it got closer, he stretched out his arms and pushed aura into them. He braced himself for impact; it wouldn't be fun, but it would get him to the ground a lot easier than the hero dirt slam that some preferred. His hand slapped into the tree several feet from the tip, sending a shock of impact up to both shoulders, but his fingers clamped around the bough. He spun around as it sagged, and when the tension was near to breaking he let it slide through his gloves.

The momentum carried Adam forward to an oak branch, where he planted his feet. His weight bore down on the branch, and it gave an ominous crack when it dipped, so he leapt to another nearby branch. He flipped and spun so it hooked him behind the knees, and twirled around it one full turn. He went weightless for a moment, and reached down to grab it. The ground was still a good thirty feet down, so he kicked out with his legs and hopped down from branch to branch until he was close enough to touch down.

He stood up and assessed his surroundings, and made sure that his weapon was secured to his back. He grimaced at the sticky sap staining his gloves, and knelt to scrub them in the dirt and grass at his feet. After he was satisfied that his hands wouldn't stick to everything he touched, he got his bearings and began moving north. He heard gunfire directly overhead as he crept through the foliage, and the blasts were accompanied by crazed feminine laughter as a gold blur sailed through the sky. That would be Yang. Given his other options, she probably wasn't even close to the worst, so he set out in her general direction. He could always watch her for a little while – if she turned out to be a bad choice, he could avoid her and find someone else.

She wasn't making a good show of herself, calling out and shouting, no doubt looking for someone to pair up with – her sister, from the sound of it. He scratched at his nose while he followed her voice. He found her after several minutes, and ghosted through the trees on a parallel course. She stopped to investigate a rustle in the brush.

"Is someone there?" she asked. It hadn't been him. Blake would die of embarrassment if his woods craft skill had been so terrible. Yang pushed into the underbrush, following the noise. "Ruby, is that you?" There was a pause as she pushed back bushes. "Nnnnnope!" She rolled left as an Ursa growled and charged toward her. Adam stood back in the shadow of a large tree to watch how she handled herself. Yang came back up, and her bracelets transformed into shot-gauntlets. She back-flipped to avoid a second Ursa that came barreling in just before the first one lunged at her. She drew back her right arm and landed a solid explosive punch that sent the beast flying back several feet. It's partner made a similar move and she met it with an exploding uppercut, followed by a combination elbow-kick. Her style was interesting to watch – she used the rounds for added momentum.

"You guys wouldn't happen to have seen a girl in a red hood, would you?" Why was she talking to them? Was she not taking this seriously? The Ursa to her right reared up and roared, then took a wild swing at her. "You could just say no!" Adam couldn't believe it – here was a life-threatening situation, and she was bantering with the monsters. She dodged the first swipe and flipped back from the second and came up laughing. "Geez, you two couldn't hit the broad side of a bahh." He watched as a single lock of her hair floated down to the ground. Uh oh. Never touch the hair. He might not know how to deal with girls most of the time, but even _he_ knew that one.

"You… You MONSTERS!" Her eyes had changed to an angry red. She raised her arms and flung them down, literally exploding into action as she flew at the offending Grimm. She pummeled it with several bone crunching strikes, firing her gauntlets with each hit. The ferocity of it took Adam by surprise, and he moved to circle out of her path. The barrage of strikes sent the Ursa crashing through several trees. Yang wasn't through, and spun around to face the other creature. "What, you want some too?!" Adam had come up behind it, and struck hard enough to sever the spine when it stood on hind legs. The Ursa took a moment to fall, revealing him to Yang. She panted in disappointment as he sheathed his blade. He gave her a small grin. Oh yes, she would make a _fine_ partner.

"I could have taken him." He was sure of that. Her eyes had changed back to their usual lilac color.

"And steal all the fun? I don't think so, Yang."

"Yeah, I guess that's fair. We could make a contest of it!" He couldn't help but like her. She might have been overly cheerful last night, but right now she was really enjoying herself.

"Suits me. What's up with chit-chatting the critters, though?" She shrugged.

"I dunno - it just seems like the thing to do. Don't you?"

"No, I'm pretty sure you're just a weirdo," he teased. She stuck her tongue out at him. "Come on, partner, let's head out." He waved and turned to find a path, then realized the direction they needed to move was the other way. He spun back around, but it was too late.

"I might be weird, but at least I have a better sense of direction." Her face was smug, but her eyes shone with merriment as she jerked a thumb over her shoulder. He slapped a hand over his heart in mock injury, but then held it out for her to lead the way. Something told him this was going to be a thing with them. It wasn't at all what he'd expected in a partner – certainly nothing like being teamed up with Blake – but he could have done worse. It was kind of fun. He moved up to walk beside her.

"So where are ya' from?" she asked. He might as well get it over with, but he didn't stretch the truth quite as much.

"Kind of all over, but I spent most of my time growing up in Vacuo." She looked at him sideways, taking in his outfit.

"You sure don't dress like you're from there." He shrugged.

"It's cooler in Vale. You?" Maybe if he asked her enough questions, she wouldn't ask him as many. He had no trouble concealing who he was, but he felt a little bad lying to Yang. He wasn't sure why, though.

"I grew up on Patch – an island just off the coast. You got any family back home?" So much for not getting the third degree. He shook his head.

"None. I'm an orphan, and I moved around a lot."

"Oh. Sorry. I kinda know what that's like. It's not nice, _or_ phan." He stopped in his tracks. She did too, and the look on her face was… Was she making an orphan joke? Her jaw hung open, and her eyebrows were up. He wheezed and shook his head.

"That's terrible, Yang."

"I know; it's like the fight we just had back there. Un-bear-able." He squeezed his eyes shut and waved a hand, as if to ward off more terrible puns.

"Oh my god, please stop." She wasn't going to stop, he could tell.

"I can't help it. Usually it happens when breakfast is so-waffle." He groaned and started walking again.

"Maybe they'll let us trade partners when we get back. That's assuming your puns don't kill us first." Yang mock gasped and slapped open palms against her cheeks.

"You wouldn't dare! You can't trade me in – I'm too adorable!" He curled up the corner of his mouth and wiggled his eyebrows at her. "You wouldn't really do that, would you?" she quipped.

"Ask me tomorrow. I think we're here." The trees gave way to a clearing with ruins in the middle. Columns of stone partially surrounded a small, open-air amphitheater. A few of the pillars and capstones had fallen at some point, while others remained upright. As they neared the circle, Adam noticed shorter pedestals were spread near the edges. Some held small objects, while others held nothing. "Chess pieces?" Adam remarked.

"Some of them are missing. Looks like we weren't the first ones here." Adam lifted an eyebrow. These were the 'relics'? As tests go, this was a fairly simple one. He hadn't known what to expect, but this seemed almost whimsical. He was surprised that others had gotten there before them.

"I suppose we should pick one." He looked around at the different pieces, trying to decide when Yang reached out to grab a knight.

"Hmm. How about a cute little pony?" She held it up. Adam smirked at her flippant attitude.

"Sure, why not?" They moved to join one another in the center.

"That wasn't so hard," Yang said. "I figured there would be more to it." So had he.

"I guess not. It's not like this was hard to find." They were interrupted by a distant, high pitched scream.

"Some girl's in trouble!" Yang shouted, spinning around. Something in the sky had caught his eye – a Nevermore was winging its way toward them. Something fell away from it, and he thought it might be a person. Who on earth would be stupid enough to hitch a ride on a Nevermore? "Adam, did you hear that? What should we do?" The idiot in question resolved into a screaming Ruby Rose, and he pointed up at her.

 **A/N - I needed to take Twelve Swords back to the drawing board for a bit; I didn't think some things through. Additional plotting was required. Hopefully I'll return to it soon. In the meantime, I hope you've enjoyed this little story. I know I had fun writing it. Thanks for reading, and be sure to let me know what you think with a review!**


	4. Chapter 4

Ruby Rose must be crazy. She had thought it was a good idea to 'ride' a Nevermore. Her plan also seemed to include falling, or, knowing her, jumping off. Adam was trying to comprehend the level of insanity required as he pointed to her rapidly descending form.

"Heads uuuuuuuup!" Ruby shouted as her arms flailed. Her fall was cut short as a scruffy blonde kid slammed tail-first into her, both of them grunting. He was moving so fast that Ruby's downward movement was dragged into his sideways trajectory. They landed in a nearby tree with a sickening thump. He winced and cupped his hands around his mouth.

"Are there any survivors up there?" He shouted. His query was met with a pair of groans. "Did your sister just seriously ride a Nevermore and fall off?" Yang, for a change wasn't sure what to say.

"I…" her fumbling for words was interrupted by a growl and an explosion at the tree line. A large Ursa came tottering out a few steps. There was a flash and crack, followed by a high-pitched 'yeeeee-ha' as the Grimm fell down. A red-headed girl rolled off it's back and stood up.

"Aww! It's broken!" She leapt to stand on the monster's head and look at it as a dark-haired boy came running up to stand beside it.

"Nora! Please," he said, catching his breath, "don't ever do that again." If the girl heard him, she gave no indication, instead rushing over to a pedestal in a white and pink blur. She leaned in and stared this way and that at the rook piece upon it, making ooh noises as she did so. After a second or two, she snatched it up and balanced it on her heel while singing, "I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle!" and bouncing it up to land on her head.

"Nor-A!" The boy shouted. She saluted and giggled, letting the relic fall into her hand.

"Coming, Ren!" The sequence happened so fast that Adam barely had time to register any of it.

"She rode in on an Ursa. Why is everyone riding Grimm? Was there something I missed in the instructions earlier?" Yang still hadn't found words to express her own confusion. She didn't get the chance, as a piercing shriek rang from the trees to their left. A gold and scarlet clad redhead came sprinting out, and a _huge_ Deathstalker burst through the trees behind her. It flattened several of them as it skittered after it's prey. The girl jumped and rolled nimbly out of swipes from its pincers without breaking stride.

"Jaune!" she shouted as she continued to flee.

"Pyrrha!" the boy gave a muffled yell from the trees.

"Whoa!" Ruby shouted.

"Ruby!" The boy replied.

Ruby leapt out of the tree and rolled up to her feet, Yang calling out her name. "Yang!" she cheered as she threw her arms up, ready to embrace her sister. Adam could only stare the debacle. These were going to be his classmates. For four years. Gods help him. The orange-haired girl burst up between the siblings and shouted her name.

"Nora!" she was so energetic that the other two girls recoiled and shouted something he didn't understand.

"How far do you think she ran with a Deathstalker chasing her?" he asked. Yang had had quite enough. She growled and threw her arms out, exploding into flames and going red-eyed.

"I can't take it anymore! Could everyone just chill out for two seconds before something _crazy_ happens again?" Ruby tapped her sister's arm and pointed up at the sky. The boy, Ren, had managed to catch up with the group.

"Um… Yang?" Adam's partner hung her head in defeat as everyone else looked up at the sky. Adam's eyes nearly bugged out – Weiss Schnee, heiress of the Schnee Dust Company, Miss Prim and Proper, was holding on to the Nevermore's claw for dear life. Adam couldn't help it; he snickered. He was very disappointed that he couldn't take a picture.

"How could you leave me?" Weiss shouted. Ruby held up her hands in disbelief.

"I said 'jump'!" as if Weiss were an imbecile. Adam had to agree, though he suspected the ride had been Ruby's idea in the first place. He was going to have to find out just how Ruby had convinced the heiress to join her.

"She's gonna fall," Adam said.

"She'll be fine," Ruby replied.

"She's falling." Ren's voice was a flat monotone, but Ruby was probably right. Schnees might be a lot of things, but incompetent wasn't often one of them, much to Blake's frustration over the years. As Weiss neared the ground, however, the blonde kid – Jaune? Jumped from the tree branch he'd crawled onto in what appeared to be a vain effort to catch the girl. Adam was shocked that he actually managed to do it, and even more surprised that they hung in the air long enough for the boy to say something to her. They remained suspended for so long that Adam had begun to wonder if Jaune's semblance was flight or levitation.

That assumption was dashed when the two realized their predicament and grabbed on to one another before resuming a less than ceremonious landing. Jaune impacted the ground face down, and Weiss landed atop him as if she had flopped onto a couch. She held up a hand, examining her nails, letting out an underwhelming, "My hero…" Jaune groaned something about his back as Pyrrha continued to run from the Grimm. It gained on her, taking several swipes on the run. Her skill at evading the monster's claws had limits, however, and she was batted across the field. She landed next to the group in a heap, and did not move for a short time.

"Great!" Yang chirped. "The gang's all here: Now we can die together!"

"Not if I can help it!" Ruby gave a cry and charged toward the Deathstalker. Yang called her name and reached out to stop her. Ruby whipped out her weapon, which transformed into a giant scythe, firing a round to propel herself forward. Her swing was too slow, and the Grimm smashed her out of the air with a powerful swipe. Ruby stood, looking a little dazed, and Adam reached for his blade.

"D-Don't worry! Totally fine!" The girl called. The Grimm crept forward, and she fired a round at it, which bounced off it's thick carapace. Her good sense finally caught up to the rest of her body and she got moving. Yang charged forward to help her sister. The Nevermore, however, had returned with a loud shriek. It stalled its flight and swept huge wings forward to send feathers lancing down in a path that pinned Ruby's cape to the ground. The scattered feathers kept coming down and toward the group, forcing Yang to pull up short.

"Ruby, get out of there!"

"I'm trying!"

Adam started to move forward as Yang screamed her sister's name – he was shoved aside by a white blur streaking toward the helpless brunette. He watched in amazement as Weiss intercepted the Deathstalker's stinger with a very impressive amount of ice before it could slam into Ruby.

"You are so childish," Weiss said, "and dim-witted, _and_ hyperactive – and don't even get me started on your fighting style. And I suppose I can be a bit… difficult… but if we're going to do this," she paused and bent down to look Ruby in the eye, "we're going to have to do this together." Adam wasn't sure his hearing was working correctly. Did she just act very _un_ like a spoiled brat? "If you quit trying to show off, I'll be… nicer."

"I'm not trying to show off," Ruby replied. Sure she wasn't. "I want you to know I can do this."

"You're _fine_ ," Weiss answered, moving to return to the group. Ruby stood and stared at the trapped Grimm in awe. It snarled and tried to break free by shaking back and forth. Yang ran up to her sister and caught her up in a fierce hug. Adam looked away and suppressed a pang of jealousy. How different would his life have been if he'd had a brother or sister like Yang?

"I'm so happy you're okay!" As they moved to rejoin the rest of the group, Jaune pointed to the Nevermore as it winged through the air.

"Guys, that thing's circling back. What are we gonna do?" Adam looked to the chess pieces, and Weiss made his point for him.

"Look, there's no sense in dilly-dallying. Our objective is right in front of us."

"She's right," Ruby said. "Our mission is to grab an artifact and make it back to the cliffs." She gestured back the way they had all come from with her thumb. "There's no point in fighting these things." Adam couldn't agree more. They'd spent far too much time out there – it might be part of how they were graded.

"Run and live," Jaune said, "that is an idea I can get behind." Adam suspected that Jaune had done more than his fair share of that, but it wasn't worth saying. He shuddered to think what being in a fight beside the blonde noodle would be like. Ruby moved to take a knight, while Jaune picked up a rook. The Grimm had continued to pull and jerk at the ice trap, causing it to grind and crack ominously.

"Time we left!" Ren stated with urgency.

"Right," Ruby agreed. "Let's go!" She waved her arm and took off running. Jaune mirrored the gesture and joined her. The others followed their example, all except for Yang. Adam took a few steps before stopping beside her.

"What are you waiting for?" She gazed at her sister, who stood at the top of the hill, cloak flapping in the breeze.

"Nothing," she said, beaming with pride. She got moving, and he brought up the rear. The ruins flashed by as they all moved at a dead run. As they neared an old road flanked by pillars, the Nevermore banked and landed on a broken tower. It flared it's wings and screeched at them.

"Well _that's_ great," Yang groused in irritation. They all remained behind cover, wondering what to do. The Deathstalker, which had finally freed itself, made the decision for them by smashing through the edge of the clearing behind them. Adam thought that it was amazing that the Emerald Forest was still standing with all the blundering going on. Jaune moaned and shouted for them to run.

The Nevermore took to the air as it's prey ran out into the open. Ren shouted something at Nora, and she ran into the middle of the road. She jumped and rolled through massive feather spears as they crashed down, drawing her weapon and firing several grenades at it. Adam stayed behind to watch her back as the Deathstalker raced toward them. He and Ren crossed in front of it, each of them slapping a massive claw away from her with their weapons. Weiss had jumped from her hiding place to land beside Nora. A glowing snowflake pattern appeared beneath the two girls, and Weiss grabbed Nora by the arm to jump them both out of harm's way. Once they were clear, Adam gave the Deathstalker an aura enhanced strike to put it off balance, then he and Ren sprinted after the others.

Nora's grenades had done their job, but the Nevermore wasn't ready to give up yet. The Deathstalker had recovered quicker than Adam would have liked; they were mere feet ahead of it. The others had run onto a thin bridge over a large chasm. Pyrrha spun and shouted for them to move as she covered their escape with her rifle. Ren jumped and rolled up into a defensive stance to add his own firepower. Adam kicked off and jumped out onto the bridge, narrowly evading the creature's pincers. It was fortunate that the bridge, though questionable in appearance, was too slender for the Grimm to follow.

The eight of them raced toward the tower, but the Nevermore had returned. It had dove down to their level, and was now speeding toward them. None of the students had time to get clear as the bird lowered it's head like a battering ram and plowed through the stone. Blocks flew in all directions, forcing Adam, Ren, and Pyrrha back toward the shrieking Deathstalker. Adam didn't like their chances, cornered as they were, but closed to melee range. The monster was simply too large, and though his allies attempted to distract the beast with gunfire, he was flung back.

Adam had barely risen to his feet, and was preparing to expend his own shells when a thump echoed behind him. A moment later, Nora came sailing past with a massive hammer, which she smashed into the Grimm's carapace. Jaune landed next to them, and Nora triggered another blast. It was bad luck that she had landed a few feet in front of Adam; the Grimm reared it's stinger at her. She blocked the whiptail strike, but it knocked her back toward him. He was ready for it, jumping as he shouted, "Brace!" Nora tensed up as she slid into him, and he pushed off her shoulders with both feet and a burst of aura. He could see the remains of the bridge shimmy, and then he was turning to face the direction he was moving.

The leap had sent him up and back toward the other side of the gap – and directly into the path of the Nevermore. It yawned it's beak at him, and he barely avoided becoming bird food. He struck with Wilt, dragging it along the side of the giant bird's head as he ran up onto the feathery back. He could see the flesh parting, but it was hardly more than a scratch to the behemoth. He got his bearings and took swipes as he ran, jumping off when he got near the tail. He landed next to Ruby, and hopped to stand next to Yang.

"It's got a really thick hide!" he shouted over the din of monsters and combat. "I can probably do more damage, but someone's got to charge me up."

"Then let's hit it with everything we've got!" Yang said. "We'll power you up if we need to go to plan B." They all opened fire as the Nevermore swept toward them in full fury, completely ignoring the explosions, bullets, and… were those starbeams the Schnee girl was shooting? Adam shook his head and resigned himself to burn more aura as the Grimm did the only thing it could do – slam into the tower wing-first.

The ruined structure began to disintegrate; huge blocks of stone fell and Adam hopped and dodged between them. He strained to keep from falling into the canyon below. It wasn't going to be quite enough to clear the shelf. When he started to fall back down, he slammed wilt into the side of the block he was closest to. Gravity pulled his blade down into a tight bend, and then sprung him into the air, tearing chunks of stone out as he went. He cleared the top and landed in a kneeling position.

Yang had taken position on top of a broken pillar and was firing round after round at the giant bird. While it was occupied, Ruby appeared beside him in a cloud of rose petals.

"I've got a plan!" Adam hoped it was a good one: Nevermores were notoriously difficult to kill without heavy weapons. "Think you can give me a boost with that springy fire sword of yours when Weiss throws us?" Adam stared at her. She really _was_ insane. He could only nod. She pointed at a stretch of blocks between two pillars. "Wait over there and be ready," she said. She rushed off toward Weiss as Yang jumped directly at the bird's gaping beak. Adam winced, but got moving once he saw Yang get stuck in the Nevermore's craw. She crammed several rounds down it's throat, then jumped down to meet with him.

"How do we charge you up?" she asked. He partially drew Wilt and held it up in front of her.

"Give me everything you've got! You'll know when to stop." Understanding dawned on Yang's face, and she let loose a rapid barrage of explosive fire rounds until he started glowing. The Nevermore had smashed into the face of the cliff, and was trying take off when Weiss trapped it's tail with a massive wall of ice. Yang moved to stand behind him, feet spread wide and leaning against his back and both fists grabbing handfuls of his jacket.

"Be ready to jump," she said. There was an edge of hysteria and wicked glee to her voice.

"I'm not going to like this, am I?"

"Relax, Red. Ruby and I used to play this game with dad all the time." Adam was afraid to ask, but he did anyway.

"And what did you call this game?" Weiss had started to skate back toward them. Ruby was several yards ahead of him, and Adam drew Wilt, placing the flat of the blade against is palm. He'd never used his semblance or his weapon this way before, and sent a silent prayer upward.

"Fun-ball – I've never been on the bottom though." Weiss cast a gravity glyph, centered on Yang. He barely heard her over the hum. "Jump and brace!" He leapt into the air and pushed out with his aura. Yang got her hands under his feet, and Ruby fired her scythe, spinning up into the air. The balls of her feet landed on Wilt, bending it heavily.

"You people are out of your gods damned minds!" he shouted. Yang gave a crazed laugh. Weiss' glyph was starting to make him feel too large for his skin.

"Of course _you_ would come up with something like this," Weiss said. It might have been his imagination, but she sounded just a bit jealous.

"Think you can make the shot?" Ruby asked.

"Hmph. Can I." There was a pause.

"Can y-"

"Of course I can!" Adam strangled the urge to yell at them. His patience was strained almost as hard as his aura. Ruby cycled her scythe, and Weiss inverted the glyph with a wave of her arm. The three of them went careening through the air so fast that Adam couldn't even yell. Yang let loose a thunderous burst that rattled his teeth. Wilt bent further, and as they started to lose momentum, he threw his semblance into the blade, which instantly sprung Ruby forward. She fired repeatedly, adding momentum that carried her into the cliff wall. Her blade slapped against the Nevermore's throat, and they both slammed into the cliff.

Adam landed and tried to stand, but couldn't summon the energy. A line of white snowflake glyphs stretched upward, and Ruby ran up them at a sprint, firing more rounds as she dragged the Nevermore with her. She was screaming in terror, or mania – Adam wasn't certain which. When she reached the top, she stalled for a moment. There was a wet tearing sound that he could hear despite the distance, and the bird's head went flying away from the body in an explosion of feathers and blood.

"Holy crap," Adam breathed. He looked back at Yang and Weiss. His partner had a mad grin on her face, while Weiss could only gape in shock. He finally mustered the strength to stand, but didn't move beyond that. Yang and Weiss joined him. The other four students had defeated the Deathstalker and were cheering at them.

"Well, that was a thing." Adam looked over at his partner. He was going to be with her for the next four years? He wondered what kind of odds they'd have making it past the first year.

Their return to Beacon had been a simple affair. Once they had returned to the launching area, relics were collected, and passing scores had been given to the eight of them. Adam wasn't really shocked by the outcome – in addition to achieving their original objective, they had killed two of the more difficult creatures of Grimm to exterminate. Professor Goodwitch even gave them some praise, but cautioned them that she expected great things in the future. Most of the other student pairs had met few or no obstacles at all, though he hadn't heard about that until later. The initiation ceremony was to be brief, assigning teams and leaders.

Their two groups were met with excited whispers and wild gestures from the upper-classmen. Adam hadn't realized that the students would be able to watch the initiation. He didn't mind – they'd acquitted themselves well, if the excitement was anything to judge. He stood with Yang and her sister, as well as Weiss while Professor Ozpin called out names.

"Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie: The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team Juniper," Nora giggled and hugged Ren, "led by Jaune Arc." Adam was shocked by that choice. Pyrrha Nikos seemed like a better leader. He questioned Ozpin's sanity, but maybe the kid would get his act together. He stumbled and fell when she gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder, and Adam could only pass a hand in front of his eyes. He was glad that Jaune was _not_ his problem.

"And finally, Adam Taurus, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Yang Xiao Long: The four of you retrieved the white Knight Pieces." He paused and waved his hand, palm-up across the four. "From this day forward, you will work together as Team Rowan – led by Ruby Rose." Yang leaped past Adam and Weiss to embrace her shocked sister as the crowd cheered and clapped.

"I'm so proud of you!" she said, voice raised over the crowd.

"It looks like things are shaping up to be an… interesting year." Ozpin said.

 **A/N - and here it is, the chapter I've been dreading. Combat sequences are not my strong point, and not having Blake and Gambol Shroud, I did my best to come up with a believable way for the last fight scene to work. I hope it didn't dissapoint. I know that I'm also taking a chance with the team name, but I thought it was appropriate to go with Rowan, a tree or shrub of the** **Rosaceae family. Besides, it was that or Yarrow, which didn't make a lick of sense to me. I hope you'll forgive my desire for dramatic license. Thanks for reading, and be sure to let me know what you think with a review! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

Adam trudged to his dorm room with his new team after the ceremony. He hoped that the subsequent days wouldn't leave him as exhausted as he felt right then. There had been hard times before he had left the White Fang, but not quite like this. Blake's training had prepared him, and they had accomplished something few could claim. Despite the fact that he had pushed past his limits, he had some pride for what they had done. Pleased as he was, however, the only thing he wanted at this very moment was to sleep. They stopped in front of their assigned room, and Ruby did the honors with a wave of her scroll. They filed inside and got their first look at the room they would be calling home for the next four years.

The interior was sparsely furnished, with four beds and desks, with a holoprojection set in the central window. The walls were divided with wood paneling rising from the floor to waist height, and capped with floral-pattern wallpaper that stretched to a high ceiling. Their belongings were stacked at the foot of each bed. Ruby cheered with excitement and threw her arms up in the air.

"Alright, Team Rowan has officially moved in! Our first order of business should be to pick out beds, yeah?" Adam ignored the question and went straight to the bed with his suitcase, and then promptly fell face first onto it. "Or, we could do that," Ruby chirped.

"It's only three in the afternoon," Weiss replied. "I think I'll spend a little time preparing for tomorrow's classes." Adam heard her rummage through her things to pull out books and stake a claim on one of the desks.

"I'm with Adam," Yang chortled. "Think he likes to snuggle?" Adam suppressed a grumble.

"Don't you dare," he mumbled into the pillow. Yang laughed and tugged at one of his shoes. This time he didn't bother stifling the noise he made in the back of his throat as the shoe came off with a jerk.

"Yeah, at least don't get the covers dirty!" Ruby added as she pulled at his other foot. She had more trouble than her sister, so Adam hooked the heel with his other foot and popped it off. It fell to the carpet with a hollow thump. Yang had tumbled onto her own bed with a hefty sigh, and started snoring moments after. Adam buried his head under the pillow and tuned out Ruby and Weiss' chatter, somehow falling asleep a few minutes later.

He was awakened after what seemed far too short a time, and opened his bleary eyes to find Ruby nudging his shoulder. He sat up instantly and rolled off the bed to land on the far side in a crouch. His sudden movement caused Ruby to flinch backward as she splayed her hands out. He was wide awake now.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you, Adam." He cleared his throat and stood up. "I take it you're not used to sharing a bedroom?" He shook his head and wiped sand out of his eyes. "Weiss and Yang just left for supper, and we didn't want to let you sleep through it. I hope you don't mind." She had a small, hopeful smile on her face.

"I suppose not, Ruby. I spent a lot of time in the wilderness though, so shaking me awake isn't a great idea." He cast about for, and found his shoes lined up next to his suitcase. Someone was a thoughtful bird. His money was on Ruby.

"Oh wow, really? What was that like? I've only been camping on Patch once in a while with Dad." She was eager to learn everything about her new teammates. He rolled his eyes with exaggerated patience and sat down to put on his shoes.

"It's pretty much the same thing, just uncomfortable sleeping and Grimm watches, but all the time." He stood and motioned to the door. "Shall we?" She gave an affirmative and dashed over to it so fast that he wasn't sure he even saw her cross the space in between. She left a trail of rose petals scattering behind her. He bent down to pick one up.

"Is this…?" he started to ask, but faltered. He wasn't exactly sure what to say without sounding rude or insensitive. Ruby laughed and waved a hand dismissively.

"Oh, that's just a by-product of my semblance. Dad says I got that from my mom." Adam looked at the litter of petals on the floor.

"Does this mean we have to clean up after you whenever you dash off somewhere?" He wasn't being completely serious, but Ruby laughed again and shook her head.

"Nah, they vanish after a minute or three. Come on, I hear they have cookies for dessert!" She opened the door and waited for him in the hall. He closed up the room and they made their way to the exit. Ruby filled the time by peppering him with questions about his fighting style and semblance. When he reluctantly told her what he could do, she didn't react as he had feared.

"Oh neat! You and Yang are both kind of special in the same way! Was that how you threw me this morning?" Adam let out the breath he'd been holding.

"I've never actually used it that way before. It didn't hurt you, did it?" She seemed to walk just fine, but she wouldn't be the first person to ignore injuries. She glanced at him sideways and shrugged a shoulder.

"My feet _were_ a little numb when I landed. It's okay though; no different than falling from a long way up." That was a relief to hear. Still, he wondered what other unusual ways he could apply the technique.

"I gotta say, Ruby, your plan was pretty impressive, if completely insane." She giggled.

"Hey, it's only insane if it doesn't work, right?" She had a point, but he wasn't going to tell her that. The brunette didn't need any encouragement from him. He was sure that this morning's mad plan would be the first of many to come. Four years, gods help them all.

"I can see why they let you into Beacon. How did you convince them, slay a dragon?"

"Oh no, I stopped a robbery. That Torchwick guy hit the store I was browsing in. It was so cool!" That was her? He remembered seeing it on the news, but the reporter hadn't mentioned her name.

"You didn't get any credit?"

"Nah, being let into the school was good enough for me." She paused to consider something. "There's got to be more to it than that, though, right?" He nodded in agreement. Killing giant Grimm was one thing, but stopping a handful of criminals didn't seem like a very good audition to him. "I'm sure Professor Ozpin had other reasons. Maybe he'll tell me one day." They exited the building and made their way across the campus. Ruby chattered excitedly about her ideas for the team, which Adam listened to with detached interest. They entered the dining hall and Ruby pointed out the table where Weiss and Yang had chosen. Adam took an assortment of foods, while Ruby tried to take nothing but cookies. He admonished her for it and convinced her to find a little more balance.

"Ugh, yes _mom._ " She rolled her eyes and added fruits and several slices of ham to her pile of sweets. He could only shake his head in amusement as they made their way past the other students to join their teammates. He heard a whispered 'freak' as he walked by a group of boys, causing him to frown. He'd seen nothing of team Cardinal beyond their formation at the ceremony, but he was sure that's where it had come from. Ruby leaned in close and murmured to him.

"Don't pay them any mind. They're just mad because they didn't get to kill any Grimm this morning." They might be embarrassed, but he doubted that was the real reason. Bigots might use any excuse to spread their hate, but something told Adam that he'd better watch his back around them.

"I'm used to it. If that's all they do, there won't be a problem." They sat down, but before their partners could greet them he added a caveat. "The trouble is, those sorts of people tend not to be satisfied with insults." Weiss and Yang looked at him, then to Ruby.

"What are you guys talking about?" Weiss asked. Ruby jerked her head at the boys they had passed.

"Oh, you know, just Cardin being a racist jerk. I mean, unless he was talking about how many cookies I took." Yang turned to look at them, and when she caught their eye, she made a rude gesture. They snickered and returned to their meal.

"Don't worry, Red, we got your back." Adam gave Yang a tight smile and nodded once. He wasn't really worried about a fight, but experience had taught him to be ready for anything. Humans could be kind, he knew, but they could also be terrible. He noticed that Weiss had said nothing, and was giving him an unreadable look. Yang was annoyed by her silence, and gave her arm a light smack. Weiss grunted and gave the blonde an irritated glance of her own.

"I'm sure if you ignore them, they'll get bored and move on." She didn't sound convinced. "But yes, if they make trouble, I'll stand beside you. We are a team, after all." She sounded sincere, but her body language said she'd rather it not come to that. Frankly, Adam was surprised by her willingness to overlook his heritage. Did the apple fall farther from the tree, or was she just covering? She had certainly turned out to be more than he'd expected of a Schnee. He decided to take a wait and see attitude.

"Bah! Enough of that nonsense," Ruby chimed in. "Let's talk ideas for team attack names!" Weiss dropped her fork into her salad, but looked mildly interested. Yang immediately offered ridiculous suggestions, and he didn't like most of them – though fire dragon sounded kind of cool, he wasn't sure how well that would work being shouted in combat. Ruby, on the other hand, had given the topic some thought, and most of her ideas were met with approving nods. He wasn't keen on he and his partner being called bumblebee, but maybe it would grow on him. On the other hand, he and Weiss being called checkmate had a certain poetry to it. He flatly refused to be called ladybug with Ruby, but was unanimously outvoted because it was 'cute'. He grumbled, but got even by calling the sisters enabler. The tie was broken by team Juniper from the next table over.

The remainder of the meal was spent talking about combat tactics and plans for a practice regime after classes. As the evening wound down, they returned to the dorms to prepare for the next day's classes. Ruby and Weiss had a short disagreement that ended in Weiss loudly apologizing for her attitude when they'd first met. While it hadn't sounded genuine, Adam fished out the bottle of fire dust and handed it to the heiress with a wink. She responded with a simple thank you, and they got ready for bed.

 **A/N - I know I said I was going to follow the show by the episode, but this felt like a better way to develop the characters a little. I hope it doesn't end up reading as too contrived. I have definite plans for the next few chapters, so this should update a little more regularly (free time depending). Thanks for reading, and to those of you leaving reviews, it's greatly appreciated. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

Adam rose before the sun, which was surprising; given how much all three girls snored, it was a wonder he'd been able to fall asleep at all. He hadn't imagined it, either. They were doing it right now. He dressed quietly and grabbed his shoes and scroll before padding out of the room on silent feet. Once in the hall, he slipped on his shoes and started to head toward the locker room to retrieve Wilt and Blush. He had barely taken two steps when he heard the door across from theirs open. Pyrrha Nikos backed out as quietly as he had and closed her door. She was dressed for a workout of some kind, wearing brown shorts and a loose short sleeve shirt. Her lustrous red hair was tied back in a ponytail, and it swayed as she turned. She jerked back with a start when she realized she wasn't alone.

"Oh!" She winced and covered her mouth. "Good morning," she whispered. He nodded and gave a small smile.

"Good morning to you as well, Pyrrha Nikos." Her frown was so brief that he almost thought he'd imagined it. It was replaced with a winning smile, but she continued to whisper.

"Please, just call me Pyrrha," she murmured. "Adam, right?" She held out her hand, which he clasped briefly; her grip was firm. He gave a nod. "Where are you off to so early in the morning?"

"Probably the same place you are," he said. He leaned his head towards the end of the hallway, eyebrows up in silent query. She nodded and they both set out. The walked in silence for a few moments. Pyrrha spoke up in normal tones once they'd come to the end of the hall.

"Are you planning to run in that?" He frowned and looked down at his street clothes. What was everyone's deal with what he wore? He sighed and gave up any hope of not having to explain himself. She sensed that she'd put her foot in her mouth. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that. It's just… won't you be uncomfortable?" He shrugged a shoulder. Running wasn't his favorite thing to do, but he didn't want anyone to see the scars he'd collected during his less-than fortunate childhood misadventures.

"I'm used to warmer weather," he said simply.

"Ah, I see." The awkward silence hung in the air for a moment. "Do you mind if I join you? I had hoped my team might be willing, but they all seemed… unenthusiastic." He ghosted a grin, certain that the rest of his team would have felt the same, which suited him fine. Still, it couldn't hurt to make an effort to get to know at least _some_ of the students here.

"Only if you promise not to hassle me about my choice of exercise clothing," he quipped. She let out a hearty laugh.

"Done and done!" They stepped outside and Adam turned toward the training hall. "Oh, were you wanting to spar afterward?" she asked. He shook his head. "May I ask why not?"

"I promised Professor Goodwitch that I wouldn't practice with any of the other students until after we'd had a chance to talk." She raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. "My semblance is problematic."

"Oh?" Adam tried to keep the chagrin off of his face, but at some point people were going to learn about his gift. Better that she heard it from him. He explained it to her, and understanding dawned. "I see. Well, if the Professor thinks it's best to discuss things beforehand, I can't disagree with her. Meet you at the quad?"

"Sure, see you there," he said with a wave. She continued past the training hall as he ducked inside. When he met back up with her, she was stretching her limbs. She brightened at his approach.

"Ah, you're a fellow swordsman! I knew there was a reason I liked you. May I?" He hesitated for a moment before remembering where he was. This was probably normal, wasn't it? He held up Blush with an open palm, and she accepted it with both hands, bowing her head in respectful acknowledgement. She inspected it without drawing the blade. "What's her name?" He'd never thought of his weapon as a 'her'. While it was cherished, it was still a weapon.

"The sword is Wilt, its companion is Blush." She nodded in approval as she ran a hand down the length of the jianqiao.

"Twenty-two, no forty-four round capacity?" He nodded and began to limber up. "And you can launch Wilt. What's your style?"

"Single-stroke."

"I look forward to seeing you in action. There was a practitioner in my last tournament that was rather impressive, though her weapon was nothing like this." She grasped the jianpao and gave him a questioning glance. He waved a hand at her; might as well get that over with too. She drew the blade an inch and gasped.

"This is a blood blade!" The look on her face was difficult to read, though shock seemed like a safe bet.  
"Who died for this?" Surprise was slipping into anger, and he held up his hands.

"Nobody died for it, I promise. Look at the maker's mark." Her eyes narrowed, but she turned it and held it up to the dim light. She closed her eyes in relief upon seeing it, letting out a breath she'd been holding. "You recognize it." It wasn't a question. She looked at him sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, Adam. Old superstitions and campfire stories get the better of me sometimes." She sheathed the sword, but held onto it while he finished his stretches. "I thought Master Skrin had stopped taking students ages ago. How did you convince her to let you study under her?"

"Not me – my mentor. I still have no idea how she managed it." He knew that they'd had a hell of a match, but he'd been asked to wait outside, so he could only imagine it. Blake had come out bloodied and limping. He'd said nothing, and when she had told him not to waste the opportunity, he had taken it to heart for the next four years. "She's the one who bled for it, though she tried to keep that detail from me." The redhead's jaw dropped open. He stared at the weapon reverently. As far as he was concerned, it was imbued with what seemed like nearly the last of the good in Blake. He wouldn't betray its purpose as she had.

"That's some mentor! Who is she, and what's she like?" A shadow crept across Adam's features. "Did I say something wrong?" He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Do you mind if we don't talk about her right now, Pyrrha?" He didn't beg, exactly, but he hated how it must have sounded to her. There were some good memories, but they all seemed so far away right now. Pyrrha's voice softened as she gently grasped his wrist and placed Blush in his hand.

"Of course not, Adam. I'm sorry if I stirred up bad memories." He nodded without a word. "If you ever want to talk, I'll gladly listen." He finally opened his eyes and looked at her. The smile was on her face and in her eyes - it felt real enough.

"Maybe some other time. Thank you." He gave himself a shake and placed the weapon on his back. "You ready?"

"I don't know, do you think you can keep up?" Her smile had changed to a wolfish grin. He winked at her and took off at a sprint. "Cheater!" she laughed out from a few steps behind.

* * *

Adam and Pyrrha had run for nearly an hour. They made several circuits around the school grounds, and had spied an obstacle course of some kind. The opted to skip it, agreeing that while Adam could see well enough in the pre-dawn light, Pyrrha might need at least one run-through during the day. They returned to the dormitory with a cooldown walk, and made plans to continue meeting in the mornings. She bade him farewell and went into her shared room as quietly as she could.

Adam made no such effort - not that it would have mattered. Weiss and Yang were still fast asleep (and snoring, _still_ ). Ruby was nowhere to be seen. He mentally shrugged and leaned his weapon against the end of his bed, and then dug out his soap and towel. He also grabbed the shirt and trousers from his school uniform and made his way to the showers. Thankfully it wasn't communal, having plenty of individual stalls for privacy. No other students were about, so he got cleaned up and dressed. When he returned to the dormitory, Ruby and Yang were both up and dressed. Weiss, on the other hand, was still curled up on her bed.

"G'morining!" Ruby whisper-shouted. Adam waved, and saw her hold up a whistle with a wicked grin. "It looks like someone loves their beauty sleep. Hurry up and finish getting dressed." He squinched his eyes shut and laughed silently, but nodded and rushed to put on the rest of his uniform. He had just finished tying his shoes when Weiss sat up and yawned while stretching. Ruby, refusing to give up on her prank, blared the whistle directly in front of her sleep-muzzy partner. Yang clapped her hands over her ears, but let a huge grin spread across her face. The heiress let out a startled shout and fell to the floor. It was funny, but Adam sincerely hoped she wasn't going to do that _every_ day.

"Goooood morning Team Rowan!" the brunette shouted. Weiss stared at her in annoyed disbelief.

"What in the world is wrong with you?" she complained. Ruby, unperturbed, launched directly to work.

"Now that you're awake, we can officially begin our first order of business." Weiss stood and brushed her arm.

"Excuse me?" Yang piped up as she grabbed an armload of random items.

"Decorating!" She sounded far too enthusiastic about it, but he supposed she had a point. The room was rather drab – not that he had much to contribute. He grabbed his travel pack.

"What?!" The incredulous tone suggested that Weiss' priorities hadn't included _that_.

"We still have to unpack," he said, dumping the pack on his bed. "And clean, I suppose." Ruby must have decided that Weiss wasn't completely awake yet. She blew her whistle again, once more startling Weiss into falling down.

"Alllright! Weiss, Adam, Yang, and their fearless leader have begun their first mission!" She threw her fist in the air and shouted, "Banzai!" He wasn't sure why Yang echoed it, but he followed suit just to tweak their teammate's nose a bit. They were rewarded with a long-suffering sigh of capitulation from her as she stood once again. He turned his back and sorted through his few belongings to give her a little privacy while she changed into her uniform.

Half an hour later, Adam stared at the jumbled mess of furniture and tried to grasp the logic of how it had happened. It had started simply enough with the hanging of posters and paintings. Ruby had thought it was a good idea to hang a new curtain over the window with her scythe, and ended up ripping it in half. Yang had thought having more space in the middle of the room could be accomplished by turning the beds this way and that, but had needed to lean one on top of another to get more room to maneuver. He mostly tried to stay out of her way by organizing his school books onto a bookshelf.

"Oh. Huh," Yang said. Her tone said it all: This was a bad idea.

"This… isn't going to work." No kidding.

"It's a little too tight to do much else with the beds," he suggested. Maybe they could alternate desks and beds for more efficiency. It would still be crowded, but it would give them a bit more space.

"Maybe we should ditch some of our stuff," Yang suggested.

"OR we could ditch the beds… aaand replace them with bunkbeds!" Ruby shouted, throwing her fists in the air. Weiss looked at her with a mixture of horror and disbelief. Adam smirked and wondered why he hadn't thought of that. The orphanage he'd run away from had stacked beds. That would give them much more floor space.

"Em, that sounds _incredibly_ dangerous." What was life without a little danger? He could think of half a dozen times that had presented far worse than what their leader was suggesting.

"And super-awesome!" Yang replied. She pumped her fist once and smiled, and Adam knew Weiss was going to lose this battle before she could object further.

"It would be better than leaving it like this," he said. "I'm with Ruby on this one." Weiss played her last card by trying to be democratic, which surprised him.

"Well, we should put it to a vote!" She sounded desperate to avoid it altogether.

"I think we just did," Ruby replied. He put his thumb in the air, and Yang made finger-horns. Weiss frowned and stiffened her arms. They all set to work and rearranged the beds. Several minutes later they stood back and looked at their handiwork. Ruby had somehow tied her bed to the ceiling, and he had no idea how she'd done it. Yang had convinced him to stack books on each of his bedposts before putting hers above his. He had not liked how the entire thing wobbled, and had spent several minutes swapping books around until it felt more stable. The man with two souls had been a casualty of the construction, but he had finished most of it and skimmed the rest. It bore further thought, but not at that moment.

"Objective complete!" Ruby said, pleased with the outcome. "Alright! Our second order of business iiiiiis – classes." She started off with so much excitement that he was almost as disappointed as she sounded when she finished the sentence. She plopped down on the edge of her partner's bed and dropped the schedule in her lap.

"Now, we have a few classes together today. At nine we've got a-"

"What?" Weiss interrupted in shock. "Did you say nine o'clock?"

"Umm…"

"It's Eight Fifty Five, you dunce!" Surely they hadn't taken _that_ long to set up their room. There was barely any room to set up. He looked at the clock on the wall, and she was right. She spun and ran out of the room without waiting to see if they followed.

"Uhh, t-to class!" Ruby shouted, following on Weiss' heels. Yang took off and he was on her heels. He had a brief rueful thought about having already had a run for the day.

"We're gonna be late!" shouted a voice behind him. Well, at least they weren't going to be the only ones. They tumbled out of the building with Team Juniper right behind them, and they all booked it across the quad. As they neared the training hall, he noted with chagrin that both Professors Ozpin and Goodwitch were standing to one side of the path. Weiss hit the door, palms out, with enough force that nobody else needed to do more than tap it on their way inside.

They all slid into Professor Port's classroom as the buzzer sounded.

 **A/N - And it's back! I appreciate your patience as I return from a hectic holiday schedule. I made an executive decision with this chapter to cut off and lump the entirety of the classroom scene into the next chapter for sanity's sake. I hope it isn't too jarring.**

 **For those of you that don't follow Dust and Motes, I'm in the process of starting a new piece of original fiction. If you're interested, my fiction press account has a proto-chapter titled Artificial Outlaw. I plan to release a new chapter each month on P atre on, starting tentatively at the end of this month (the FPN short story is being rewritten, currently). Fear not, though: I fully intend to continue writing fanfiction stories here for as long as I have stories to tell! Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

Adam was having trouble staying awake. He kept nodding as Professor Port droned on about some adventure he'd had in his youth. The man had an almost hypnotic effect, but it would occasionally be spoiled by a sudden exclamation. If he hadn't known any better, he'd have thought the man was doing it on purpose. Adam glanced around the room from time to time and was not surprised to see many of the other students were having the same problem. He glanced at his syllabus and flipped to the pages it indicated for assigned reading. Grimm Studies was something he'd learned from experience more than anything else, and he was rather disappointed with the material. He even skipped ahead, hoping that the early chapters were merely a beginner's primer. Apart from some variants he'd never personally encountered, most of the book covered creatures and strategies that he was already familiar with.

He closed the book with a quiet thump and noted that while this might be the dullest classroom he would find himself in, it would also be the easiest. Professor Port disabused him of that notion somewhat when he called on the class to 'demonstrate' the traits of a huntsman. Several hands went up, including his, but Weiss felt the need to voice her confidence in a grating voice. For some reason she sounded more irritated than usual, though Adam wasn't sure how that was even possible. The professor quirked an eyebrow, and waved a hand to his right, inviting her to show them exactly that. A section of the floor opened up, and a large cage rose up from below. Many of the students made startled noises, and even Adam was taken aback at the bestial noises that came from within.

The man was clearly unbothered in the least, and launched into an explanation as Weiss left to retrieve her weapon and equipment. This was not only to be a theoretical class, but also a practical one as well. By the semester's end, everyone in the class would be facing all of the common Grimm. Furthermore, the time would not be spent exclusively in the school. Field trips would be part of the semester final, the goal of which would be to scout for and destroy Grimm in the nearby forest. Adam could not decide if the man was a genius or merely insane. Of course, the idea didn't bother him all that much, but he looked around at the other kids in the room. Some of them looked like they could handle it, but more than a few definitely did not, at least not individually. It was a good thing they were organized into teams.

By the time Weiss had returned, Professor Port had finished going over the particulars. Adam noticed that Ruby had switched from doodling to taking notes, which she placed in front of her partner's vacant seat. The heiress stepped down onto the lecture floor, and the professor took his weapon down from the wall. It was a wicked looking battle-axe, but had a blunderbuss instead of a simple handle. He and his other teammates cheered Weiss on as the madman released a Boarbatustk from its sturdy confines. The fight didn't last long – the creature wasn't nearly as large as some of the specimens he'd fought. He didn't fail to notice the definite tension between Weiss and their leader.

The pale girl left the classroom in a huff, and Ruby rushed after her. Yang looked at him and shook her head before getting up to follow the rest of the students out. Adam reached over and took the papers and books that Weiss had left behind in her rush to leave, and waited for everyone else to clear out. He made his way to the blackboard where the portly man was hanging up his weapon above.

He gave the axe blade a little pat and turned to leave. "Ah, Mr. Taurus! Is there something I can help you with?"

Adam squared his shoulders and said, "There is, sir. I was wondering if there might be some more advanced training for the class." He held up the book to illustrate his point. "Is there more to it than what's in here?"

"Hmmm," the man mused. "Are you suggesting that you're bored already?" he asked the question with raised eyebrows. Adam froze upon hearing the question; he realized that he might have just insulted a seasoned huntsman.

"Oh, uh, no sir," he stammered. "It's just that I spent a lot of time in the wilderness the last year and…" He trailed off, wondering how to phrase what he wanted to say without coming off as arrogant. Talking to people was never really his strong suit, unless they were Blake or people he was giving orders to. "I've encountered almost every type of Grimm in the book, and a few that aren't." Despite his intent, Professor Port's serious face did not diminish. He gave it one last shot. "I didn't mean to suggest I didn't have anything to learn, Professor."

"Mister Taurus, I appreciate that you went to such lengths to prepare for your time here. It also pleases me that you are eager to learn, _but_ , it's only been one day. Patience is a virtue, after all, and will serve you well _if_ you graduate from these hallowed halls. It would behoove you to learn a little of that. Demonstrate that you can do this, tend to your studies, and perhaps we can revisit your desire for more challenging fare."

The rebuff took Adam by surprise, but he recovered well enough. "Of course, sir, I'll do my best."

The man nodded. "I'm certain that you will indeed, Mister Taurus. Now, if I'm not mistaken, you have somewhere to be, do you not?" he asked, striding past without waiting for a reply. Adam frowned, but nodded and excused himself. The brusque demeanor of the Professor was quite unlike it was during class. Had he been that offended by the question? He shook his head and tried to put it out of his mind as he climbed the stairs between the desks. When he passed through the doorway, Yang was leaned up against the column next to it.

"Hey there, partner! What was that all about?"

Adam smirked and shook his head. "Looking for some extra credit, I guess he doesn't really do that." He looked up and down the hall. "Ruby and Weiss?" he asked, trying to change the subject. If Yang had any grief for his 'teacher's pet' attempt, she didn't rib him for it. Instead she shook her head and jerked it down the hall, and then started walking in that direction.

"Those two," she grumbled. "Weiss is a prickly one, and Ruby is all too eager. I hope they figure it out." So did he: The prospect of having to listen to the two girls bicker did not infuse him with any enthusiasm. Maybe it might seem amusing from the outside, but it wouldn't when he had to live with it day after day. "I guess we'll hafta wait and see if their ears need boxing." She shrugged and kept walking. "What about you? You think we might have to step in and get them to play nice?"

He shook his head and moved his hand around in a circle, palm facing down. "This is something they both need to figure out. Weiss has already shown herself to be a little less typical than I'd expect from a Schnee. Ruby, on the other hand…" He looked over at his partner, trying to decide where the line between family and honesty lay for her. He had no personal reference. "I know she's your sister, Yang, but she's got some growing up to do. You would know better than me, though."

Yang considered his words and conceded the point. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. I just don't want to listen to it for too long. Dorm room drama is the worst." She looked at him sideways. "Come on, Adam, you're thinking it." She emphasized her point by bumping her shoulder into his arm, causing him to sway.

"Maybe we can come up with some kind of rules, like take arguments outside or do a separate corners kind of thing." Ruby would probably agree with it, but Weiss might take some convincing. Yang let him know what she thought by rolling her eyes. "What?"

"Don't take _all_ the fun out of it, man." She looked like she had an alternative suggestion when his scroll chimed. He drew it from his pocket and pulled it open to find a message from Professor Goodwitch. Yang leaned over to see what it was. At first he was annoyed by her pushing into his personal space and almost said something, then decided to give her a playful shove instead. She laughed, and he held it out so they could both see.

"Wow, you're already getting called to the carpet? We haven't even had a class with her yet." She gave him a mischievous leer. "Unless it's something else, eh, partner?" He scoffed at her lewd suggestion and put the scroll away.

"I doubt _that_. Even if in some whacko universe that were the case, she's not really my type."

"Oh really? What's wrong with her, is she too old? Too tall?"

"Too blonde," he said with a hint of humor.

His golden-haired partner raised a hand toward her face. "Hey, you take that back! What have you got against blondes?" Her tone dripped with mockery. "Or do you just prefer your girls dark and stormy." The image of Blake in one of her rages came unbidden, forcing a bitter laugh between his lips. "Did I say something wrong?"

"I really don't want to talk about it, and I need to discuss my semblance with Goodwitch. I'll catch up with you guys later." He held up a fist and she bumped it, her face inscrutable.

"Alright, see ya!" She made a right turn and he stopped for a moment and reversed direction. As he turned, he caught Yang looking over her shoulder at him. He pretended not to notice the calculating look and gave her a final wave, which she returned. As he made his way back to the combat wing, he hoped she would respect his privacy, but he doubted it. As he walked down the hall, he passed Professor Ozpin, who gave him a polite nod, but kept moving in the opposite direction. Adam returned the nod, and came upon Ruby a few steps later. His team leader seemed lost in thought, but she brightened at his approach.

"Hey, Adam! Where are you headed off to? Don't you have a free period now?" Her enthusiasm at the prospect showed, and he grinned as she fell in step next to him. Given the snooze-inducing hour they'd just left behind, he didn't blame her.

"Goodwitch wants to see me about my semblance, so not anymore." At that response, Ruby frowned. "It isn't a big deal. I'm sure she just wants to make sure that I won't hurt anyone else on accident." He doubted that it would be a problem. He and Master Skrin had worked long and hard to ensure that he had complete control when it came to overrun strikes. Nobody had ever gotten hurt, though there had been one or two close calls with Blake.

"I suppose that makes sense," Ruby replied, sounding dubious. Adam couldn't help but feel like she was distracted. "You want some backup? I hear she can be scary."

Considering where he'd come from, the thought made him laugh a little. "Nah, that's okay, boss. I'm sure it will be fine." Ruby opened her mouth, and he went on before she could protest. "What about you? Do you think you'll be able to work things out with Weiss?" They drew up to Professor Goodwitch's classroom and stopped in front of the open double-doors. The question caused the girl to pause and consider briefly.

"I don't know, Adam. She isn't happy that I was made team leader. I'm not sure why, though." She looked up at him and hugged her arms around herself. "Do you think Ozpin made the right decision?" He felt a twinge of pity for the girl. Being put in charge of anything could be a daunting responsibility, one that he'd experienced himself numerous times. He thought back to conversations he'd had with Blake on the matter. She may have turned to darkness, but that didn't mean it invalidated her experience. He didn't see the harm in passing some of that advice along.

"Ruby," he said, placing a gloved hand on her shoulder, "I think you'll do fine. The important thing to remember is that there's more to leadership than telling people what to do or hatching plans on the fly. Knowing your teammates and what they're capable is only part of it." He smiled in order to soften the blow that he was about to deliver. "You were admitted two years early, so you will have to work extra hard. Take it seriously, apply yourself, and I'm sure Weiss will come around." They had better be able to settle their differences, anyway. They were all going to be in for a long four years, if not.

He dropped his hand and Ruby smiled up at him. "Thanks, Adam. I'll do my best not to let you guys down. Any advice on how to stay awake during Professor Port's class?" She waggled her eyebrows at him, and he chuckled. He was about to say something when Professor Goodwitch startled them both. She had come to the doorway without either of them noticing.

"Miss Rose, you're holding up your teammate. If you wouldn't mind, he and I need to discuss an important matter."

"Oh, of course, professor - sorry! I'll catch up with you later, Adam." Ruby gave them both a wave and dashed off in a flurry of rose petals. The blonde teacher looked around at the mess in annoyance and pulled out her crop. She gave it a casual wave and a wind blew them all into a nearby trashcan. Adam decided that it wasn't worth telling her that they'd disappear on their own. When she had finished cleaning up the mess, she motioned for him to follow her inside.

 **A/N - Hey guys! Sorry this took so long to get posted! New job, new schedule, but on the plus side, now I'll have more time to write! Some of you have been asking to see more original story and less retread. This chapter is an attempt to do that, and the next chapter promises to do the same. You'll notice there are still bits of the show, but I did my best to shift focus away from it. Does it need to go farther, or did I find a good balance? Let me know, and as always, thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N -** Huzzah! A new chapter at last! My sincerest apologies for making everyone wait so long! I considered continuing this on to the end of the day in-story, but there's quite a bit that happens after this. The pacing feels right to end things where I did, and I hope it doesn't throw anyone off. The good news is there's a definite plan for chapter nine. The editing has been set aside for the time being, mostly due to the Writing Prompt Wednesday special event: A Daisy Chain story being written by 20 of us, wherein we will attempt to tackle the backstory of Neopolitan. Come on over to the RWBY subreddit Tuesday evening if you want to see that bit of chaos unfold! Thanks for stopping by! :)

* * *

Adam followed Professor Goodwitch into the classroom, which he had yet to see. The hallway opened into an amphitheater, which was mostly a wide arena floor. There were doorways on either side of the hall, and the she led him to one set slightly apart from the others. When she opened it, Adam detected a faint aroma of wildflowers and vanilla. He wrinkled his nose and followed the Professor into her office. The wall to his left gently curved away, and held a variety of photographs, paintings, and even a few weapons. He paused at one, surprised to find a blade not unlike his own, with one minor difference – it was broken into several pieces. He leaned in to see if he could spot a maker's mark, but found none.

Professor Goodwitch cleared her throat, and he turned to look at her. He pointed at the shattered sword. "That must be an interesting story." He wasn't exaggerating – blood blades were practically indestructible. Whatever had broken this one must have exerted an incredible amount of force. She gave him a considering look, and then indicated one of three chairs in front of her desk.

"Perhaps one might think so. However, that is not why we're here, Mister Taurus. Please have a seat." Adam moved forward and settled into the middle seat while the Professor took hers. She reached for a pen and paged open a notebook. "Professor Ozpin tells me that you received combat training from Master Beryl Skrin, of Seglund, yes?" She uncapped the pen and held it at the ready.

"That's right. I studied under her for four years, and change." He knew he couldn't lie about this, so he planned to answer truthfully. He only hoped that she wouldn't ask him about anything from before – or after – that time. She jotted down notes on the page as he spoke.

"And when did you discover your semblance?" she asked, without looking up.

"About four months after I started training with Master Skrin." She nodded and scribbled more notes onto the page. He was a little surprised that she chose paper and pen over the scroll sitting within reach. There was a bookshelf behind her that held more tomes and notebooks, so maybe she just preferred the tactile nature of it all.

When she finished, she looked back up at him and set her pen down. "Tell me about this training, please. Give as much detail as you can." She leaned back in her seat as he took a moment to recall the events. His first manifestation had been a fortunate one. They had been training with practice weapons, and had been working at her instruction to Aura depletion exercises. It had been a grueling, frustrating experience for him, and he'd let his temper get the better of him. The journeyman swordsman he'd faced off against had suffered a fractured elbow and a very bruised ego.

Professor Goodwitch considered this as he explained it, only interrupting once to ask about any other incidents. After the first mishap, Master Skrin had taken a direct hand in his tutelage, which continued until she was satisfied that he wouldn't accidentally hurt any of her other students. Even then, she forbade him to use his semblance with any but herself and her two most experienced protégés, Verde and Lila.

"I see," she began with a nod. "Well, that certainly corroborates with all we've heard of the woman. Tell me then, how does the empowerment portion work?"

"I absorb attacks, either passively or while focused. Usually it would come from weapons fire – pulsed or beam weapons are best, but anything with sufficient force can be used." The greater his focus, the more he could make of whatever he took in. "The higher the energy, the greater the output." At this she held up her finger and then took up her pen to make more notations. She went on for quite a bit longer than his explanation had warranted.

"When you trigger your semblance, is all the stored energy released, or can you selectively portion it out?" This had been a tricky thing to learn, but months of thorough, tireless effort on his and Master Skrin's part had yielded some results. He had been able to divide it into three separate attacks by the time he'd returned to Blake, and had been close to a fourth. The Professor made marks next to two items when he elaborated. "As a single-stroke practitioner, am I correct to assume that edged strikes are what you use?"

"Usually," he answered cautiously.

Upon hearing this, Goodwitch looked up from her writing, pen hovering over the page. "Explain." He recounted the final events of combat from the initiation, including how he'd used the flat of his blade like a bowstring. "And Miss Rose suffered no ill effects from that," she said as a statement, rather than a question. He chose not to contradict her, and she moved on. "Have you ever used your semblance without a weapon?"

The thought had occurred to him on more than one occasion, but he'd been too nervous to try. "I have not, Professor." She carried on with a litany of questions after that. Had he used other weapons, had he tried projectiles, were there any limitations, what was the most damage he had ever done. It went on for several minutes, and he answered each with a growing sense of impatience. At the same time, he began to appreciate her diligence. She was nothing if not thorough.

Once the Professor had exhausted her library of inquiries, she set down the pen and settled her palm against the desktop. She looked at him and tapped her fingernails for a few moments. Tap-tap-tap-tap-thump. Her fingers drummed at a measured pace several times, and then she asked, "Have you ever willfully injured anyone with your semblance, Adam?"

His answer was immediate. "No, ma'am. Not willfully, or under the direction of anyone else, or accidentally beyond that first time." He decided that discretion for Blake's near misses was necessary, not only for the Professor's questions, but also to keep his cover story intact. Thankfully her line of questioning hadn't turned in that direction. The blonde stared at him through narrowed eyes, as if she were searching for a lie in his own words.

She closed the notebook with a thump, and for a moment he thought she had decided against his participation with the other students. She relented after a few more moments. "Very well, Mister Taurus. I'm willing to accept that you have adequate understanding and control of your skills," he heaved an internal sigh of relief for that. "However, I too shall forbid you to do any semblance work with the other students."

He nodded and resigned himself to basic combat training; it wouldn't be for the first time. "Instead you and I will work together twice a week." The look of shock on his face must have been amusing. Her lips held no smile, but her eyes did sparkle briefly. "It is not unusual for Beacon to accept the occasional student that requires individualized training. Normally we reserve this for highly advanced pupils and second-years on up." She stood and walked around the desk, motioning for him to follow.

Adam joined her back in the hallway, and she sent him on his way with a final comment. "I will modify your schedule and send the update to your scroll. Thank you for your time, Mister Taurus." She dismissed him with a wave of her hand, which opened the door to the combat wing. He thanked her on his way out, not certain what to think of the exchange. He also couldn't shake the notion that he was missing something important, but he couldn't figure out what it was.

He exited the combat hall and stood on the steps just outside, trying to decide what to do next. His time with the professor, frustrating as it had been, hadn't really all that long. There was still an hour to lunch, and his only class in the afternoon was botany with Professor Peach. With that in mind, he made his way to the library.

Pyrrha and Jaune were coming from the opposite direction when he arrived, and she gave Adam a cheery wave that he returned, though not as enthusiastically. He paused at the foot of the stairs and waited for the pair to join him. "Hello, Adam!" Pyrrha said brightly. "I see you had the same idea we did."

If he had to admit it to himself, he was glad of the distraction. Discussing his training with the Combat Professor had stirred up things he didn't want to think about right now. "I suppose you could say that. I was hoping to find a copy of the book for Professor Peach's class; I didn't have any luck at the stores in the city before I arrived here."

Jaune nodded in sympathy, "Yeah, me neither. Pyrrha was lucky enough to find one before she left Mistral. We can share if we need to, but she still thinks it's a good idea if I had my own copy."

"That seems like sound reasoning to me." Adam gestured toward the waiting library doors. "Shall we?"

"Let's!" Pyrrha replied, and they closed the distance to the doors. Adam went to reach for the handle when the door burst open without warning. The three of them jumped back as a dark-haired, rabbit-eared Faunus girl dashed out, tears streaming down her cheeks. She pushed past Pyrrha and Jaune, and knocked the blonde down in the process.

"Oof! Hey!" he protested. The girl had already rushed down the steps and vanished around a corner. Pyrrha reached down to offer Jaune a hand, which he took. He patted at his trousers and shook his head. "I wonder what that was all about."

Pyrrha looked in the direction the girl had run. "Should we go see if she's alrig—" she was interrupted as the door crashed open again. Adam was forced to leap back to avoid sustaining a potential concussion. This time it expelled another dark-haired girl, but instead of rabbit ears, she sported a beret and a dark pair of sunglasses. "Oh! Hello, Coco," Pyrrha exclaimed, slightly surprised at the sudden appearance of another student. Adam looked through the open, swinging doors in confusion. Were there more girls waiting in line to ram their way through the middle of their little group?

Coco pulled up short to avoid colliding with the trio. "Pyrrha," she said with a perfunctory nod. "Which way did she go?" They all pointed wordlessly. She paused for a moment as she settled her gaze on them, looking at them curiously. "Wait, you're all first-years, right? In Teams Juniper and Rowan?"

"Umm… That's right," Jaune answered for them. "Is everything okay, Miss... Coco, was it?"

"Coco Adel, and no, everything definitely is not okay." The scowl on her face didn't bode well, but it turned thoughtful after a moment. "I need to go after Velvet, but can I come find you guys after the evening meal? I've been trying to figure out how to deal with a problem, maybe you can help out." Adam had a pretty good idea what that was going to be about. He didn't want to get embroiled in any drama, but Jaune spoke up before he could say anything.

"Yeah, sure, we can make some time." He turned to face Adam. "Can you let Ruby know?" Adam suppressed a sigh before finally agreeing with a nod. This Jaune kid sure was quick to make decisions for others.

"Sure, let me message Ruby." He pulled out his scroll. Coco gave her thanks and set off in pursuit of her teammate.

 **'Ruby, Coco would like to talk to us tonight after dinner with JNPR.'  
** ** _'Sure! … Who's Coco?'_  
** **'A second-year, I think.'  
** ** _'Oh, that's cool then! I'll let the girls know! Everything go okay with Goodwitch?'_  
** **'It was fine. See you at lunch.'  
** ** _'Okay, seeya then! :)'_**

"That's alright with her," he said as he pocketed the scroll.

"I wonder what that was all about." Jaune hauled on the library door and held it open for them. "I guess we'll find out tonight. Do either of you know Coco or Velvet?" Adam shook his head, but Pyrrha spoke up as they went inside.

"I know of Coco Adel, mostly from her family's businesses in Mistral. They're involved in textiles, I believe. We even met once, after a tournament a few years ago." She had a thoughtful look on her face that was interrupted by laughter. It came from one of the tables at the far side of the study area. Adam frowned at the source; Team CRDL were seated, and Cardin was gesticulating with something in his hand. Whatever he said, it elicited another fit of laughter from the four.

"I thought people were supposed to be quiet in a library," Jaune frowned. "Is that a… a rabbit's foot?" Adam took a closer look at the object, and it was indeed a 'good luck' charm.

Pyrrha scowled as she realized the likely reason for Velvet's distress. "Dispicable. What on Remnant possessed him to torment the poor girl?"

Adam grimaced and kept his voice down. "Cardin Winchester – he's got an ugly disposition toward the Faunus." It didn't take much logic to figure out what had happened.

"I can't stand people like him. Has he given you any trouble, Adam?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Not yet, anyway." That probably wasn't going to last. "People like him are predictable. I'm sure it's just a matter of time."

"Well, I won't remain silent," Pyrrha replied. "That sort of behavior isn't civilized."

"Yeah, man. We've got your back, and Velvet's too, if that's what Coco wants to talk about," Jaune added.

Adam knew he could take care of himself, but he was completely alone here: Allies would be welcome. "Thank you. Let's see if we can find those books." They ignored Team CRDL's antics and proceeded to a reference terminal to sort out where to go.

* * *

After a brief search, they only turned up one copy. Jaune and Pyrrha decided to continue sharing hers, and they let Adam have it. He leafed through the pages of the field guide while they walked to the cafeteria. Jaune was going on about some comic book character, trying to convince a dubious Pyrrha of the hero's merits. Adam wasn't really paying attention until Pyrrha repeated his name a third time.

"I'm sorry," he said as he slipped the book under his arm. "What were you saying?"

Pyrrha gave him an amused look. "I was asking if you wanted to join us in a trip to the city this weekend. It might afford us an opportunity to shop for supplies we still need."

"And comic books!" Juane crowed. Pyrrha laughed and shook her head. "Come on, Adam, help a fella out here!" _'Fight your own battles'_ Adam thought to himself. Pyrrha was decent as humans went, but her team leader set his teeth on edge.

He shrugged noncommittally. "Well, I don't know about comics, but I do need to see about finding an odd job or two to pay for things. I also don't want to keep the library's copy for the entire semester," he tapped the book as he said it. "A visit to Vale sounds like a good idea." In truth, he probably should have asked Tukson to help him line something up beforehand. The little bit of Lien he had left wouldn't go much farther.

"Do you really think you'll need to find work?" Pyrrha asked. "Won't it take away from your study time?" He shrugged again. "If you need help, I'm sure we could all pitch in."

That did make him smile a little. "I appreciate it Pyrrha, but I prefer to pay my own way. It shouldn't be too bad as long as the price of Dust doesn't go up drastically."

"If you're certain…" Pyrrha trailed off. They entered the cafeteria and joined the queue of other students, making plans for the coming weekend while they waited. Trays of food were finally claimed, and they found their teams already sharing a table. This was made easy by way of Nora jumping onto the tabletop and enthusiastically shouting their names while frantically waving her arms.

"She seems… excitable," Adam commented, mostly to himself.

"It grows on you, or so Ren says anyway," Jaune said with a grin.

When they sat, Adam took the empty space that Yang patted beside her. He noticed that Weiss was conspicuously absent, and when he quietly mentioned her name to his partner, she merely shook her head, giving Ruby – who was chatting happily with Ren – a pointed look.

"They haven't made up yet. I saw her out on the terrace earlier. She seemed to be thinking about something, so I let her be. How'd your one on one with the Professor go?" The chatter among their group stilled when she asked that, and all eyes turned to him. He looked at them all, confused at their sudden interest. "Well come on, don't hold out on us, Red!" Her comment was met with cheers of encouragement, and an inappropriate remark from Nora.

"Guys, it's not a big deal. She just wanted to know about my training and stuff. I can spar with everyone, but she insisted on individual training, too." Ruby's fork paused halfway between her plate and her open jaw. The others looked equally stunned, though Pyrrha appeared to be both surprised and a little jealous. "What?"

Yang chuckled. "Oh, man. You either just won the lottery or became the envy of the table. Both, actually." She shook her head. "Rubes and I have heard stories about her from dad – you've got some kind of luck."

Ruby's shock wore off enough for her to put her fork down. "You suck, Adam. How'd you even manage that on our _first_ _day?_ " she asked with a frown. He held up his hands, wondering what the fuss was all about. "Glynda almost never gives private lessons. I'll say it again, you suck."

He was about to respond when a cry drew their attention across the hall. "Ow! That hurts!" Velvet was standing, or rather trying to stand. She was being prevented from doing so by Cardin, who had one of her long ears gripped in his fist.

Adam didn't even realize he was creeping up behind the jerk until he was right on top of the other boy. The four were so entertained with Velvet's head being jerked back and forth that they failed to notice until Adam took a vicious hold of one of Winchester's own ears. When he applied a twisting pressure, Cardin seized up.

The rest of Team CRDL was taken aback, and Adam leaned in close to the unfettered ear. "It only takes eight points of pressure to tear off a human ear, Aura or no Aura. Let. Her. Go." Cardin growled, but complied when Adam tightened his grip. Velvet stumbled away from the table. Pyrrha and Nora tried to stop her as Jaune and Ren came up, but the Faunus pushed past them. Jaune sent Nora after her, and the rest turned to face the confrontation.

Adam released his hold, and Winchester stood angrily. "Bastard, you'll pay for that!" The rest of his teammates stood up nervously as Cardin gripped a food tray.

Yang spoke up from behind him. "There's four of you, and six of us. I like those odds, dickhead. Try it."

Cardin's face screwed up, and he was about to say something when another voice rang out. "Actually, Miss Xiao Long, there are ten of you, and one of _me._ I don't think I have to explain to you the odds of that." They all turned to face the newcomer, who turned out to be a very displeased Glynda Goodwitch. Nora and Velvet were both standing directly behind her, the former looking on eagerly while the latter stared fixedly at the ground. " _What_ is going on here?"


	9. Chapter 9

It was a good thing Professor Ozpin's office was as large as it was. Adam was surprised at the wide space – or rather he might have been if the current circumstance was different. But for Weiss, Teams Rowan, Cardinal, and Juniper – along with Velvet and a visibly furious Coco Adel – had all been marched to the tower and taken upstairs. Once they arrived at the top, they were ordered to wait by the elevator doors. Glynda had also made it plain that they were to do so in silence.

Professor Goodwitch and the Headmaster were speaking quietly at his desk. Adam looked at his teammates. Ruby returned his glance and shrugged. She pointed at him and then gave him a thumbs up, which her sister mirrored. He wasn't sure if he agreed with the sentiment or not. They were here because of his rash actions, after all. He only hoped that the consequences wouldn't be too severe. Professor Ozpin's face gave no hints, but they were about to find out. He waved them all over, and they reluctantly shuffled forward.

He glanced at each of them in turn with a placid gaze. "So, would anyone care to explain what just transpired in the dining hall?" The office erupted into cacophony as everyone tried to speak at once. This carried on for a few moments, and then Ozpin held up a hand, causing everyone to fall silent. "Let's try that again. Miss Scarlatina, would you care to explain?" Adam closed his eyes and held his breath for a moment.

Velvet paled and said, "O-of course, Professor." Her accent was that of a Menagerie native, something Adam had only ever heard a few times before. "Cardin was trying to demonstrate how easy of a target my ears could be in a fight," she went on, pointing to her long ears. "Aura isn't much use against submission holds. Adam thought it might be useful for me to see how it looked from the outside and used Cardin as an example. I... I guess things got a little out of hand."

Adam was stunned. He looked at her, and she returned his glance with a silent plea. Coco scowled, but it only lasted an instant. He understood what Velvet was trying to do. She didn't want to make trouble; her 'explanation' was weak, but she'd already put it out there. He wished that she hadn't included him in the lie – he already had enough of his own – but he _had_ involved himself, after all. He had no one else to blame for that.

Ozpin quirked an eyebrow when she finished. "I see," he said evenly. "Is this true, Mister Taurus?" he asked, his expression unchanged. Professor Goodwitch was stone faced, and she clearly didn't believe a word of it. All of the other students were looking at him with a variety of expressions, save for Team Cardinal, who all looked straight ahead, out the window.

"That's more or less right, sir," he hedged. In a way, it had been, even if the situation would have devolved into something more obvious without Professor Goodwitch and her timely arrival. He stopped himself from hitching a shoulder and continued. Half a truth was still a lie, however, so he opted to keep it simple. "I guess we did get a little carried away." Yang scoffed and muttered something under her breath, which caused the deputy headmistress' eyes to narrow.

Glynda opened her mouth to speak, and judging by how her brows were drawn together it was to call them out on the truth. She had raised her arm and Ozpin held up a hand to forestall her objections. "Very well. I think we can all understand Glynda's concern. In the future, it would be wiser to confine impromptu demonstrations to the training areas set aside for such things." When no one immediately responded, he asked directly. "Do I make myself clear?" Everyone agreed in some fashion or other; Adam simply inclined his head, relieved that the Headmaster had given them a pass. "Good, you are all dismissed." They all turned and moved as a group to the elevator. "Mister Winchester," Professor Ozpin called out, "please remain with your team for a moment."

They all crowded into the elevator. Ruby tried to lean back out to eavesdrop on the private meeting, but Yang dragged her back into the car by her hood. Her sister protested and sputtered, and Jaune slapped the button for the ground floor before Ruby could wriggle free. The elevator doors closed with a thud, and the car was silent for a few moments.

The soft hum and quiet breathing of the nine students was finally broken by Yang. "What the hell just happened?" Every head turned in her direction, and she looked at Velvet. "Why didn't you say something? We would have backed you up." Adam tried to shake his head subtly, but his partner wasn't having it. "Oh, don't you give me that, Adam Taurus! It's bad enough that you went along with her story." She jabbed a finger into his shoulder to emphasize her point. He winced more at her tone than the poke. "Cardin is a jackass, and so are his teammates – why did you cover for him, Velvet?"

The rabbit-eared Faunus' shoulders sagged, and she looked to her team leader for support. The flat look Coco was giving her over the rims of her sunglasses said she wasn't going to help. "Velvs, that's a fair question. I've tried to talk with you about this already, and all you've said is that it's not a big deal. Come on, hon, talk to us." Adam could tell that, even though her tone was one of a concerned friend, there was also a hard edge to it, as if her patience had finally given out.

Velvet drew in a deep breath and turned her face upward to look at the ceiling. "I've dealt with people like him my whole life. Getting adults involved never goes well." Yang started to object, but she was cut off before she'd barely drawn a breath. "Please let me finish." The blonde scowled and huffed, but crossed her and held her piece. "Yeah, he's a bully, him and his friends, but you see one and you've seen them all. Eventually he'll get tired of it." She turned to face Adam. "Thank you, for stepping in, and all of you, too. I'm sorry for the trouble."

"Hey, it's no trouble, honest," Ruby chimed in. "We got let off with a warning, and I'm sure we'd do it again, but…" she trailed off as all eyes turned to her. "It's the first day. What's it going to be like after a few weeks? Bullies don't just stop because they get caught once."

"She's right," Jaune said, "but so is Velvet. Getting the adults involved almost always makes things worse." He said it without looking at anyone; it sounded like the voice of experience. "He'll just try harder not to get caught from now on."

"There's only one way to deal with those jerks," Yang said, punching a fist into her open palm and grinding it, something Nora wholeheartedly agreed with. A direct approach held some appeal for Adam, so part of him wanted to agree with her. Unfortunately, his first attempt had been noticed by the faculty – he was also certain neither of them had believed Velvet's fabricated story.

"So we can have another visit to the Headmaster's office?" he asked. "Save it for combat class." The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened with a ring. They filed out into the lobby and spread out. Yang and Coco both looked displeased, and most of the others looked uncertain or neutral. Nora was the sole exception; she seemed eager to plan Cardin's untimely demise, or severe maiming, at least.

Coco straightened her shoulders, resolved to put any discussion off until later. "I'm sure most of us have classes to get to. We'll see you all tonight." Velvet looked at her askance, but didn't put a voice to her question. "Come on, Velvs, let's go." The pair left the building without another word. Adam watched them go with a sense of frustration. He had wanted to avoid trouble, and this whole mess seemed like a terrible way to go about it.

Ren pulled out his scroll to check the time. "We only have a few minutes before our own class starts," he said. They all moved as a group to follow Coco's lead and made their way to the botany class. While they walked, Yang fell into step beside Adam. She didn't say anything right away, but he could tell she was less than pleased with how things had turned out.

She surprised him a few moments later. "You're probably right," she said.

"Pardon?" he asked. He'd hoped to avoid discussion, but as he had already learned, Yang tended to be very direct. It was charming in its own way, but it would probably wear thin over time.

"I've never really had to deal with bullies before. Signal is kind of small, and most of the kids are just there to train." She took a few more steps in silence before she resumed. "Ruby has a point, though. He's not going to stop. What if Cardin tries something a little more aggressive? Outside of combat class."

Adam felt a little bad for misjudging his partner. She might be quick to react, but she had just demonstrated that she could also put some thought into things. "If he does, we'll deal with it then. Do you really think he'd be stupid enough to try something more overt?"

"I think he _thinks_ he's smart enough not to get caught," she replied. "Especially now that he knows he's being watched. You made a bigger target of yourself, stepping in to help Velvet, you know." He gave her a wry grin and a shrug.

"Too late to do anything about it now," he said. He wouldn't be surprised if he'd shifted Winchester's focus onto himself. The possibility was annoying, but he could deal with it. He was better equipped to handle it than Velvet seemed to be, anyway. What a girl like her was doing at Beacon was beyond him. If she were a skilled fighter, then he wouldn't have needed to act.

They entered the building and found themselves surrounded by other students on the way to classes.

"I was kind of surprised, but it's good someone did it." She punched him in the arm hard enough to smart. "That doesn't mean you're off the hook for going along with her story, though."

He rubbed his shoulder ruefully, "And what do you propose as penance, oh partner mine?" Her eyes lit up at his comment. He gave her a disgusted look as they entered the classroom. "Don't you dare…"

"It's funny you mention _pen_ ance," she said. He drew a long-suffering breath. "It would be fitting for you to write a wrong – you can take notes for me." The smile on her face was wide and wolfish. "Do you ink you could handle that for me?"

He looked forward with a straight face and let out the breath he'd been holding. "I suppose that's a fitting _pun_ ishment." Pealing laughter erupted from Yang just as they entered the classroom. Other students already seated turned to look for the source of the laughter, but the chatter continued as they returned to their conversations. Adam spotted Weiss near the front, bent over her book. He tapped Yang on the shoulder and pointed to their oblivious teammate. "How much do you want to bet she won't give us grief for getting pulled into Ozpin's office?"

Yang shook her head and blew a raspberry. "No upside for me, there. We'd get better odds for Nora actually breaking Cardin's legs."

"We're taking bets?" Nora said, grinning from ear to ear. "I could even-" her sentence was cut off as Ren muffled her with his hand.

"Nora…" he admonished her. "I'm sure they were kidding." They struggled with one another and she started taking playful jabs at his ribs. Pyrrha herded her teammates into the row behind Weiss as Adam, Yang, and Ruby sidled in next to her.

Weiss looked up when Adam bumped into her. "Where have you all been?" She managed to sound both amused and annoyed. He dropped his books onto the counter with a thump and sat down next to her, while Yang dropped into the seat next to his.

"Oh, you know," Ruby began as she took the seat on the other side of her partner, "just getting into trouble on the first day." Adam palmed his face, and Weiss scoffed. "Hey, it's not _my_ fault. Adam kind of started it."

Weiss' head whipped around to fix him with narrowed eyes. "'Kind of'?" she asked. He leaned forward to give Ruby his best scowl, and Yang leaned further forward to say something when Professor Peach walked in.

"Good afternoon, class. I hope you're all ready to learn about the great subject of botany!" She moved to the front of the class and set a stack of folders onto the long table at the front of the class. As her name suggested, her hair was a soft, pinkish color that was held up in a bun by an elaborate pin. She wore a form-fitting white lab coat that reached down to her thighs, which were further covered by tall, shiny black boots. The ensemble was completed by equally shiny black gloves that stretched halfway up past her elbows.

For as much as Adam didn't want to admit it, she was sure to have everyone's attention in a way that most of the other professors would not – rapt attention from the boys in the class, at least. He didn't know if that was a good thing or not, but he dismissed the thoughts with little effort. He was here to learn.

If she noticed that she was having an effect, she paid it no mind. "Alright, class, let's begin by opening to page seven in your books," she began. "I know some of you have had trouble finding copies. Try to share for now, and if you need your own, come see me after class." Adam opened his library copy to a chapter entitled, 'Genus and Species: A Field Guide to Identification.'

* * *

Adam left botany with a strong sense of relief. Professor Peach, at least, seemed intent on challenging her students. He leafed through the several pages of notes that he had made with disappointment. Yang had made good on her threat and had not written down one single word. More importantly, she had occasionally elbowed him and pointed at his notebook whenever she wanted him to write something down. The science of flora and its many uses was extensive, and he'd had difficulty keeping up. He was now glad that Professor Port hadn't given him extra work like he'd asked earlier that day.

His review was interrupted as Weiss spun him around by the shoulder. "Explain yourself," she demanded. He would have been irritated at her tone and grabbiness, but the heiress was forced to look up at him. The perturbed look on her face, along with the pointed finger of one hand and the tiny fist on her hip was almost comical. He managed to keep a straight face, and was about to reply when Yang butted in.

"It's not _completely_ his fault, Weiss." She turned her head to spare a frown for his partner. "He threatened to pull off Cardin's ear." The look on her face changed from one of aggravation to that of shock. "While he had a fistful of said ear." Weiss leaned back, and her jaw dropped open as she looked back and forth between the two.

Adam gave Yang a pained look. "You're not helping, Xiao Long." There was a gleam in her eyes, and he knew right away this was the rest of his 'comeuppance'. He was sure she'd let him off the hook eventually, but she was having far too much fun at his expense at the moment. Salve for her bruised sense of justice, he supposed. He just hoped that she wouldn't get the Heiress whipped up too much. He might actually not be able to keep from laughing if it kept up for too long.

Weiss finally recovered enough to speak. "I'm not hearing how it wasn't his fault so far." She crossed her arms, waiting for an explanation. Adam's neck muscles twitched as he suppressed a laugh. "Well?"

"Jeeze, who died and made you the Ice Queen?" Yang grumbled. "Winchester was picking on Velvet-"

"And just who is that?" Weiss interrupted. Her foot had begun to tap impatiently.

Ruby leaned in between them all. "She's a rabbit Faunus," she whispered. "Can we _please_ move this back to the dorm?" Adam looked around and noticed that while a crowd hadn't formed, the foot traffic had slowed as they took an interest in the little knot of contention that had formed in their midst.

"Right," he said. "We can talk about it there." He looked down at Weiss, who clearly wasn't thrilled in the slightest. He pointed toward the exit. "Please?" he asked. She growled quietly and snatched her things from Ruby's proffered hand and muttered under her breath. She then turned and stalked away, back and shoulders stiff. They followed behind her, albeit at a slower pace.

"Well that lasted all of five minutes," Yang murmured from his left. He sighed and shook his head. Was it going to be like this every day? That long swim back to the city was starting to sound better every minute. "Seriously though, what's her deal? It's not like we got suspended or anything."

Ruby took a turn to let out a sigh of her own. "She's still upset with me. Plus, I saw her talking to Port after we had another argument in the hallway." She shouldered open the door and held it open for them. "I guess she didn't like what he had to say." With everything that had gone on in the last couple of hours, Adam had forgotten about the predicament Ruby was forced to deal with.

"Have you got any ideas about how to handle that?" he asked. She might be a prodigy, but he could tell that she was struggling with the reality of her new role. He hoped the advice he had offered her would be enough to help her figure things out. Any more than that would probably keep her from learning a valuable lesson.

She looked up at him as they continued to follow some distance behind Weiss, who had started to outpace them. "I think so. She seemed upset that I wasn't taking Professor Port's class seriously, so I'm going to work on that. I'm not sure how to do that beyond making extra time to study, though." She frowned in consternation. "I make no promises about being able to stay awake for all of Port's stories, though."

"Ha! I don't think that's unfair, sis." Yang shook her head. "I doubt anyone – not even our high and mighty Ice Queen – can manage that feat _all_ the time." Adam nodded in agreement as they drew up to the dormitory entrance.

Weiss had gone ahead without them, and had scooted the chair of her desk out to face the door. That was where they found her when they entered the room. "Would _someone_ please explain to me what in the world is going on?" She waved her scroll at them in an accusatory gesture. "The school message board is buzzing about some fight that almost happened in the cafeteria today." Adam jerked back at that. The school had an online forum?

Yang had opened her scroll and fiddled with it for a moment. "Huh. Goodwitch locked the thread." The statement caused Weiss to look at her device in annoyance. Yang shrugged and put away her scroll. "Basically what I said before. Cardin was tormenting Velvet by tugging on one of her ears."

"And your first thought was to grab one of his ears and threaten to tear it off?" Pure disbelief dominated her face. "Do you have any idea what you've done?" She stared at him as though he were a complete fool. Okay, the novelty had officially worn off. He was about to retort when Ruby stepped forward.

"What's the big deal, Weiss?" Ruby asked. "It's not like we all got into a big fight or something."

Weiss shot up from her seat. "You have _got_ to be joking. None of you realize what's happening around here?" When they all gave her dumbfounded and confused looks, she tossed her hands up in the air and started pacing. "Let me give you a little lesson in geopolitics. That idiot you just embarrassed? He belongs to a family with considerable influence in every kingdom except Vacuo."

"So what?" Yang said. "So his family is kind of a big deal. What does that have to do with us?"

Weiss stopped pacing and gave Yang a withering look. "You can't possibly be that dense."

"Watch it, Ice Queen," Yang growled. Weiss stiffened and started to step toward her, which actually caused Yang to laugh and crack her knuckles.

Ruby jumped between them waving her arms, "Alright, calm down everyone!" She whirled on her sister and pointed at her. "You stop goading Weiss. We've got enough problems without fighting among ourselves." Then she rounded on Weiss. "And you! Stop treating us like we're complete idiots!" Her intensity caught them all off guard. Then, because she was on a roll, she turned on Adam. "And you! Uh…" He quirked an eyebrow as she deflated a little. "Actually, you're fine, I guess." She grumbled and flopped down onto the floor. "You were saying, Weiss?"

Ruby's partner calmed herself with closed eyes and a couple of deep breaths before speaking again. "As I was saying, the Winchester family has serious political capital with the councils of the three kingdoms. Where do you think the money to run these schools comes from, faerie godmothers?"

"Oh," Adam said as he came to a sudden realization. Ozpin asking team Cardinal to stay behind made more sense now, and that didn't bode well. Or, it could be like he originally thought and they were given extra attention for causing trouble. It was hard to say for sure, especially where the Headmaster was concerned.

"Indeed," Weiss said. "If you're going to pick a fight with someone, at least know just who it is you're provoking." She sat in her chair again and smoothed her skirt. "I can ask around, but you've probably made a very bad enemy today." Adam couldn't be sure, but she almost sounded impressed. It was almost as if she subscribed to one of Blake's maxims: Judge a person by their enemies, because it would give you a sense of who they were. He wasn't sure how he felt to be admired by a Schnee, if that's what it even was.

"Well," he began, "there's not much we can do but wait and see what happens." He stepped over to his desk and pulled out the chair. "In the meantime, I have notes to copy, then supper, and our meeting with Coco." He sat down and flipped open his notebook. Yang brought a fresh one for him to write in and slapped him on the back genially."

"What meeting with whom?" Weiss asked.

* * *

 **A/N - Hey there! Welcome to the end of another chapter! I want to thank everyone for their kind reviews and patience as I get back into the swing of things. I'm pleased to say that I've had a couple of ideas for this story that weren't in the original plotting, and I think you will enjoy it. To my two guest reviewers: No no no, there will be no harem in this household! As far as teased pairings, I won't say much, save that it isn't necessarily a certain thing - just what I've imagined for the story up to this point. Apart from making a handful of plot points, I'm a discovery writer, so my tales are prone to change with the narrative as it develops. Anyway, thanks for the read - see you next time! :)**

 **Oh! One quick note, the design concept for Professor Peach was kindly granted for me to use by RainshadowArtist - be sure to check her out on Deviantart!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N - Hey all! Sorry for the long wait on this chapter. I wanted to really take my time with this one, and I'm not sure how well it's going to go over. There's an obligatory trigger warning that I need to put here - there's an implied assault recounting that some might find a little upsetting, so be prepared. As we get back into RWBY, I'll try to be a little more regular with my chapters. Thanks for reading!**

Adam worked for nearly an hour to transfer his notes to Yang's notebook. By the time he was finished, his hand had started to cramp. He tossed the pen and it landed on the desk with a clatter, and he leaned back to dig his thumb into his palm. "There you are, Xiao Long. Don't think I'm going to do that for you every day."

She sidled up and jostled him with a clap on the shoulder. "Well, it shouldn't be a problem as long as you don't let others rope you into their lies." He scowled, but she ignored him as she flipped through the pages to check his handiwork. When she got back to the front, he noticed her doodles on the inside cover.

"Who's the dude, an old boyfriend of yours or something?" He didn't really care, but he wasn't used to writing that much once, let alone twice in one day. As he squeezed stiff fingers open and closed a few times, he gave in to the petty desire to get at least one good dig in.

Yang refused to take the bait. Instead, she laughed and closed the notebook. "Nah, that's Harry the Wizard." He gave her a perplexed look, and she was about to elaborate when Ruby spoke up.

"Oh my _God_ , don't get her started," Ruby groused. Adam half turned in his chair at her remark with one eyebrow raised. Ruby was lying on her stomach up in her bunk, and she rolled over on her back, letting her head hang over the edge of the bed. When she caught his look, she rolled her eyes. "It's all she talked about this summer."

"Hey, don't be jealous, sis!" Yang shot back. "It's not my fault my dreams are so much cooler than yours."

"It's completely ridiculous! Wizards and _faeries_!" Ruby scoffed. "I still think you're making it all up." The two sisters fell to bickering, and Adam wondered where his headphones might be when Weiss began massaging her temples. She said nothing, but the look she gave him was one of unfettered annoyance, which she accented with squinty blame.

He flipped his hands up and curled his fingers back toward himself with a frown. "How is this _my_ fault?" Her only response was to sniff in disdain and turn back to her homework. He snorted and stood up to stretch as his partner and team leader devolved into name-calling, though it seemed more playful than heated. Still, he wasn't about to sit around and listen to it, so he checked his scroll. Dinner was an hour away. He pondered on whether he would have time for a jog when there was a gentle knock at their door.

Yang and Ruby were still going at it, and Weiss had managed to find a pair of earbuds. He sighed and stepped over to open the door. When he opened it, he was greeted by the smiling faces of Jaune and Pyrrha. Their cheerful looks drifted into curiosity, and they leaned to either side of him to peer into the room. He looked over his shoulder and saw that the siblings had begun wrestling – or rather, Ruby was trying and failing to wrestle her sister. He shook his head and faced his neighbors.

The two straightened and Pyrrha spoke first. "Is.. everything okay in there?" Jaune, on the other hand, had a wry grin on his face.

Adam shrugged and simply said, "They're sisters." Pyrrha gave a polite 'ah', but Jaune's humor only deepened. Adam stepped out into the hallway, half closing the door as he did so, and they made room for him. "What's up?" he asked.

"Right," Jaune answered. "We were talking about Coco's meeting tonight and Nora thought maybe we could just bring dinner back to the dorms." Adam tilted his head, not certain what would necessitate such a thing. "You know, because Velvet seemed so skittish?"

"Ren suggested that it might make Velvet feel more comfortable if we were to share a meal together," Pyrrha interjected. "I think it's a lovely idea, though it may be a little cramped in our room." Adam could see the logic in it, but they were right about the problem. A dozen people in one small room didn't seem very practical, especially if a meal was a part of that equation.

"It _would_ probably help if Velvet didn't have to cross paths with Cardin," he mused. Out of sight, out of mind wasn't going to have any real impact on the situation, but if they were going to do this, it would be helpful if she wasn't on edge. "I don't know – does the cafeteria let us take food out?"

Pyrrha gave a firm nod. "Many of the students here do so all the time according to Coco. She likes the idea, though Fox and Yatsuhashi wouldn't be able to join us. She didn't say why." She gave a little shake of her head; Adam wasn't certain if it was disapproval or mere acknowledgement. It did simplify the problem, though. Fitting ten people would still be crowded, but they could make it work.

"I suppose we could do that then." So much for his jog. Whatever epic struggle was taking place behind him had further degenerated into something that involved a lot of helpless laughter and squeals. The distraction had become too much for Weiss, who then emerged from the room with thinned lips.

She closed the door behind her firmly, which served to muffle the commotion within, but only a little. "Un- _believable_ ," she said in disgust. Adam stepped aside and her expression morphed into one of curiosity. "What's this all about?" Jaune gave a rushed explanation, which caused her features to somehow darken and be thoughtful at the same time.

"We were just about to ask, but it sounds like some of Team Rowan is otherwise… occupied," Jaune finished. "Would you mind giving us a hand at the cafeteria?"

Adam was _more_ than happy to get away from the chaos of his shared room. Weiss, on the other hand, looked as if she would rather swim in a pool full of snakes. She looked at the door, and then to him. She hooked a thumb at it. "You tell them," she said, and she crossed her arms in resolute defiance.

Adam grumbled at her imperious tone, but he opened the door and poked his head in anyway. Yang had managed to get Ruby pinned to the floor, and she was sitting on her sister's back. She had trapped Ruby's legs with her own, and the younger girl's unshod feet were being mercilessly tickled. Ruby was gasping and pounding the floor with her fists, begging for a cease-fire between choked breaths. He stared, open-mouthed for a moment, and then seized upon the opportunity for a little payback. He pulled out his scroll and snapped a picture of the pair.

Once he was done with that, he cleared his throat loudly. The girls paused in their tom-foolery and looked up at him. "We're bringing dinner back here. Do you think you two nut-jobs can get this worked out of your systems by then?"

"Only if Yang says Uncle!" Ruby huffed.

Yang smiled wickedly. "Oh no, crow can't save you this time!" He wondered what the hell that even meant, but Ruby took advantage of the distraction and wriggled around enough to start digging her fingers into Yang's ribs. The blonde flailed and barked in surprise, "Why you little!" Adam eased back into the hallway and closed the door as fresh gales of laughter erupted.

He turned to the other three and shook his head. "Jury's out on that one." Pyrrha was snickering into her fist. Weiss had had tipped her face up and was taking deep breaths and silently counting to ten – Adam couldn't blame her, but he also got a small sense of petty satisfaction from her irritation. He decided then and there that he could tolerate at least _some_ of the sisters' hijinks – if they occasionally got under her skin, it was a fair trade.

Jaune, on the other hand, had a knowing look on his face. When Adam raised an eyebrow, he shrugged. "I have seven sisters." He tilted his head toward the door and shrugged. "This is a walk in the park to me."

" _That_ explains a lot," Weiss said. Jaune just shook his head and waved a hand wordlessly. They set out for the cafeteria, and Jaune regaled them with his misadventures as a middle child, the only boy – besides his father – in a family of ten. Adam listened with amusement, trying to picture a much younger Jaune being dressed like a doll and having his hair put into pigtails. He wasn't sure if he was missing out on the whole 'family' experience or not, but it sounded a far cry better than his own childhood experiences.

Adam snuck a glance at Weiss a couple of times during Jaune's tale and was surprised to find that she had a barely perceptible smile on her face. He knew that she had an older sister, and a younger brother, but he had trouble picturing any of them getting up to anything even remotely resembling Yang and Ruby's display of affection. Then again, he could easily be wrong; the Schnees were a very private bunch.

She caught him looking and her ever-present scowl returned. "What?" she asked.

He shook his head dismissively, but answered her anyway. "I was just wondering how lively your family is compared to his. Behind closed doors, of course," he added quickly. Jaune and Pyrrha were sharing breathless laughter at some swimming pool story he was trying to tell, so they missed the stormy cloud that brewed over Weiss' head.

She rolled her eyes and sniffed. "Of course there's more to my family in private. That doesn't mean we had time for _that_ sort of foolishness." She huffed. "I hope it isn't going to be like this all the time. We have homework to do." He could hear Yang clearly say 'Come on, don't take _all_ the fun out of it' as if she were right beside him. He might not be prepared to deal with Ruby and Yang if they were going to be like that _every_ night, but it was different. Different didn't have to be bad in his experience.

Retrieving dinner proved to be even simpler than he thought. The kitchen staff was in the midst of preparing portable carts for other diners-in. One of the younger women, Iris, reminded them to be sure to pre-order any future take-outs with their scrolls. She let them off with a smile and soon had them on their way with assurances that leaving the cart in the hallway would be fine: Someone would be along to collect them later in the evening. It was all very efficient, which didn't surprise Adam at all.

By the time they had returned to the dorm, other students were going the direction they had come from. More than a few eyed their group, and it was clear by the looks on their faces that many of them had also not realized they could bring food back. The cart itself was laden with several trays, and he had wondered how they would get it up the stairs. Pyrrha solved that problem for them. She stretched out a hand and a shadowy light played along the surfaces of the cart itself, and then it lifted into the air. That was handy, though she didn't explain until they reached the third floor.

When the wheels settled back onto the floor, she relaxed. "That's a pretty neat trick, Pyrrha. Your semblance is levitation, I take it?"

She winked at him. "Something like that," she replied enigmatically. When Weiss started to speak, the redhead placed a finger to her lips. "See if they can figure it out." Jaune, he noticed, was just as clueless as he was.

After a moment, the blonde shrugged it off and started to push the cart. "That's pretty cool! Can you do that with anything?" He paused for a second and shook his head. "No, I'm betting not, because something like levitation means you probably can't, am I right?"

"Correct." She gave an affirmative nod as she said it.

Jaune rapped his knuckles on the top shelf. "Is it control of metal?" Adam may have had doubts about Jaune's fighting capability, but Juniper's team leader seemed intelligent, at least. Pyrrha nodded encouragingly, but waggled her hand. "Hmm. So not quite control of metal, but kind of." He thought for a few more steps as the trays rattled quietly. "Is your semblance like your personality, magnetic?"

Adam rolled his eyes, and Weiss shared his sentiment at the bad come-on. She made a disgusted noise, but Pyrrha took it with good humor and snapped her fingers. "Got it in three!" she exclaimed with pride. "Very good, Jaune, you've guessed my semblance: Polarity."

Jaune burst out with a dozen questions, and Adam saw Weiss pinch the bridge of her nose. "You would think he's never heard of her before," she muttered. "Honestly, how does he not _know_?"

Adam shrugged as the pair wheeled their dinner down the hallway ahead of them. "Hey, I didn't know either." He wasn't exactly standing up for Jaune, but he'd figured it out before Adam had. It only seemed fair to offer at least a token defense.

Weiss, however, gave no ground; she glanced at him and shook her head. "Boys," she murmured in disapproval. Pyrrha was demonstrating her finer control with some of the silverware, which she did right up to their section of hallway. Weiss waved her scroll in front of the door and cautiously peered inside. Whatever she saw caused her to sigh in relief and push the door the rest of the way open.

Jaune let go of the cart handle and tapped Adam on the arm with the back of his hand. "You mind? I'm going to go get the chairs – and Ren and Nora – from our room." Adam grunted and took charge of the food, pushing it through the open doorway. Ruby and Yang had called a truce while the rest of them had been gone, and had used the time to push the desks together. Coco and Velvet had yet to arrive, but he expected that they would be along shortly. They worked together to unload the meal onto the makeshift dining table.

Chaos reigned for about a minute before Weiss firmly took charge and handed out assignments for everyone. There were a lot of things he could say about her attitude, but Weiss had everything organized in a matter of moments. Adam and Yang were assigned the task of setting the dishes in the middle, Ruby and Pyrrha dealt with the plates and condiments. Weiss was setting out the silverware when Jaune, Ren, and Nora all shuffled in with extra chairs.

They were still at it when Coco and Velvet appeared at the doorway. Coco peered over her sunglasses with a surprised smile, and Velvet looked over her shoulder with a nervous smile. Or maybe she was just shy.

Whichever it might be, Ruby seemed not to notice it at all. "Hey, you two!" she chirped. "Come on in!" She waved them in and took a seat close to the window. Everyone else found chairs, and grouped together in their respective teams.

Coco cast an eye around the room, pausing to stare at the precariously perched beds and books before taking the seat farthest from them. Adam couldn't help himself and whickered sardonically. Everyone was chattering about the selection of foods offered and how the first day of classes had gone. He noticed that Velvet still seemed uncomfortable, with one of her ears drooping as she sat next to her team leader.

He opted not to say anything about it, but Yang wasn't so circumspect. "Hey, Velvet, cheer up, huh? You're among friends." She pitched it quietly enough that it didn't interrupt the various conversations, but loud enough that the rabbit Faunus could hear. "Relax and enjoy the food, and the company, eh?" She added an encouraging, soft shoulder-bump that seemed to have the intended effect.

Velvet put on a bashful smile. "I suppose I _have_ been dreading this all day. Everyone seemed so serious after we left the Headmaster's office." Yang gave her an encouraging pat on the back that rocked the girl forward a tad harder than was probably necessary, but the blonde began to work her bizarre magic of bantering her way through the awkward moment as if nothing were amiss. Adam supposed that she'd had plenty of practice on her sister over the years. Wherever she'd learned, it was effective in drawing Velvet out of her bubble of discomfort, and soon enough they were talking happily about the classes they would be sharing for the semester.

The room was noisy with the excited teenagers, and at first Adam spoke very little, instead choosing to eat and listen. Nora, however, took notice and dragged him into the discussion. "So Adam, Yang tells me you're an orphan like Ren and Me?" The question took him by surprise. He didn't know either of them very well, but it would have been awkward to leave it at that, or even give a simple answer.

Her partner gave him a way out, though. "Nora.." Ren said with mild disapproval. "Maybe dinner isn't the best time…" and the way he said it seemed to be more for Adam's benefit than to spare himself.

Adam waved a hand. "It's fine, and yeah, I am." He supposed this might be an opportunity to solidify his cover story if pressed. "I don't really remember my parents, and I ran away from the orphanage early on. What about you two?"

Ren's expression grew distant, but he nodded. "I was old enough to remember my mother and father. We survived a Grimm attack, and after that we drifted from town to town." He seemed hesitant to say more, and it was something Adam could appreciate. It was a familiar story, to him at least. Living outside the kingdoms was often met with hardship and failure.

Nora, however, was more than happy to carry on. "I don't really remember my parents either. I was traveling with some grown-ups, but they sort of left me behind." She shrugged. "That's okay, though, because I found Ren, and we've been together ever since." Her gaze shifted sideways, and she quickly interjected, "But not, together-together, y'know?" She covered her embarrassment by taking a large bite of roast.

Pyrrha leaned over to grab a dinner roll. "Why did you run from the orphanage, Adam? Was it that bad?"

He unconsciously rubbed at his arm, but shrugged off the real memories. "There were too many kids," which was true enough. "Food was scarce, and it was always crowded." That was also true, at least partially; the reason was because the older children often stole food from the younger ones. "I left when I was maybe six."

If she was bothered by the idea, it only showed a little. "And how long before your mentor found you?"

He made a show of thinking about it, but shook his head. "I couldn't say for sure, but at least a couple of years." He decided a little more truth couldn't hurt, and he let himself grin. "She caught me picking her pocket, and decided that if I was going to be a thief, I should be _her_ little filch."

Pyrrha was shocked, "I don't believe you – you're pulling my leg," she laughed.

He shrugged. "It's true. Of course, what she really meant by little filch was more like little helper. I must have lugged a small lake's worth of water to pay her back." That might not be exactly what he had done, but it was near enough – early on, anyway. "But she always looked out for me, made sure that I was fed."

Yang turned her head to fix him with a playful gaze. "And now you're here, eh partner?"

"So it would seem." They moved on to other small talk, and he was relieved to discuss more mundane subjects. He weathered playful jabs at being singled out for special training by Professor Goodwitch, and they all commiserated at the prospect of trying to stay awake through Professor Port's tall tales.

Coco stole all hope from them. "The best part about Port's classes are the hands-on lessons, but there aren't as many as you might think." She grinned wolfishly. "Thankfully, second year looks like it's going to be mostly field work." She leaned back and adopted a more serious tone and posture. "As amusing as this has been, we've got something to discuss."

The mood dimmed a little, but Yang spoke up first. "So, Velvet, I know I was pretty upset with what happened earlier. I get what you were trying to do - I just want to understand _why_." Coco seemed like she wanted to object, but then shrugged. Whatever else she had in mind could wait, apparently.

Velvet took a deep breath and pushed stray vegetables around her plate. "I'll do my best, but before I do, I need everyone to agree not to let it leave the room." After a scattered chorus of agreement, she laid down her fork and continued. "Before I came to Beacon, I was a student at Shade Academy. Things went well, at first. Faunus have less trouble in Vacuo than the other kingdoms."

"Attending at Shade was great, really. We – er, they use a different system than the one used here at Beacon." Adam leaned back and folded his hands across his stomach. He was more familiar with Vacuo's Huntsman academy because Blake had considered sending him there before she settled on Master Skrin instead. "They use a sort of rotating buddy system – not true partners. I think the idea is supposed to be about working with anyone."

The others listened on while she continued, which took a moment for her to work up the nerve. "Every week was a new partner, on a four week rotation." She closed her eyes and her ears drooped. "I came to dread the fourth week because of a boy – Robin. He seemed nice enough when we first met, but after a few months he started getting… aggressive." Velvet was trying to fold in on herself, and it was clear that she was uncomfortable.

Yang laid her fingers on the back of the girl's fist. "It's okay, Velvet. Take a breath – you're safe here." It was easy for Adam to see that his partner was well-practiced at calming others, because it had the desired effect on Velvet, who calmed somewhat. "Aggressive how?" She started to elaborate and Adam reached out to squeeze her arm gently, giving a minute shake of his head when she glanced his way. He had a feeling that this was going to be yet another familiar story.

Velvet took a deep breath and let it out slowly before she continued. "Over time it became clear that he was interested in me. He was sweet, and patient, and kind." She smiled bitterly as she stared at the remains on her dinner plate. "But then he started to get pushy, even when I asked for space. I put him off as best I could for months, but one night, he tried to…" Whatever she'd been about to say caused her to shudder and bow her head. "We fought, and I…"

Yang abandoned all pretense at keeping her distance, and she slid her chair closer so that she could wrap her arms around the shaking girl. Ruby and Weiss had both placed hands over their mouths in horror. Adam noted that the dark looks most of the others had on their faces mirrored his own. Jaune – and not surprisingly, Nora – both looked like they wanted to find this Robin guy and beat the crap out of him. It was a sentiment that he shared. Yang was whispering to Velvet, who had buried her face into Yang's shoulder.

Coco's face was neutral as she stood up and circled around the table. She was obviously just as upset as everyone else, but she also didn't want to upset her teammate further. She nudged Ruby, and everyone quietly changed seats to make room for her. She sat and rubbed her hand over Velvet's back. The rest of them remained silent as the two worked to help her settle, and eventually she did.

Once Velvet dried her tears, she seemed relieved. Yang eased back to give her room, but stayed close enough so Velvet's fingers could remain intertwined with hers. Ruby was the first to break the silence, if reluctantly. "But you're okay now, right?"

Velvet smiled, but it was weary and sad. "Yeah."

"What happened? After, I mean." Jaune had mastered his anger enough to ask, and Adam frowned. "You said there was a fight."

Velvet's expression grew haunted, but she answered him. "I don't remember any of it, but when it was over, Robin was badly beaten." She grasped her elbow and looked down at her lap. "By that point, the professors had come, and it was two days before I found out what happened to him. They suspended me, and there were so many questions. In the end, they were more upset that I hadn't come to one of them sooner."

Pyrrha leaned forward and rested her forearms on the table. "May I ask why you didn't talk to someone?" She sounded apologetic, but it was a fair question. Adam had heard of the reputation of Vacuo faculty, and he doubted that any of them would have ignored that sort of behavior.

Velvet's eyebrows drew together in regret. "I don't know. At first it was because it didn't seem that bad. Robin was popular with students and staff alike. Little things added up over time, and before I knew it, it seemed impossible to speak up."

Nora seemed dissatisfied with that answer, and she crossed her arms. "What about him, did he have anything to say for himself?"

Velvet's looked away, and her voice was thick with shame. "Robin has been in a coma since it happened." Adam was stunned, and so were most of his fellow classmates. His earlier assessment of her combat ability rose dramatically.

He was also understood why she didn't want to be the focus of any trouble. The others may not have started to put the pieces together, but she confirmed his suspicions. "After that, we agreed that it might be best if I transfer." She looked around at them uncertainly. "My friends would have understood, but I didn't have many."

"That's why you didn't want to rat out Cardin and his team," Ren said. Of the lot of them, he had remained the most placid. "Does Professor Ozpin know what happened?"

She nodded. "Both he and Professor Goodwitch know the whole story. He made it clear that while he understood that what happened wasn't my fault, he wouldn't tolerate any loss of control on my part." Nora raised an angry finger to interject, but Velvet stalled her with a firm hand. "He's right to be concerned. Huntresses who can't keep their heads in a fight are dangerous at best."

Adam thought that seemed harsh, but it was also fair. He had seen what could happen to people in the wilderness when they gave in to battle fever. "So, what you're saying is that you covered for Winchester because, what? You're on probation?" he asked.

"More or less," she replied. "This situation with Cardin is completely different. He's young, and he's angry – out to prove himself. His family doesn't have the best history with the Faunus."

"That's putting it mildly," Weiss replied. Everyone shared confused looks, and she grunted. "Seriously, has no one here even looked at a history book?"

Ruby held up her hand before her partner could launch into another episode of pedantic lecturing. "Look, family history aside-" Weiss glowered at her. "I'm sorry, Weiss, but knowing that there's bad blood for him is plenty. Going into detail about it won't change anything. What are we going to do about it?"

"Can we break his legs if he gets uppity?" Nora asked.

Ruby rolled her head and slapped her forehead. "Nora, I love your whole direct approach thing," Ruby began, "but I was kind of hoping for a solution that wouldn't get us thrown out of the school."

"We can make it look like an accident?" Nora supplied hopefully.

They all shared a chuckle, but Coco rapped her knuckles on the table. "This is the reason I wanted us to meet up tonight, but hang on a sec." She turned to face Velvet and leaned forward. "Velvs, honey, I'm so sorry that you had to go through all of that, and I get why you didn't want to talk about it – I'm glad that you did." She looked around the table at everyone else. "I think we can all understand why you reacted the way you did, right guys?"

There were agreements and nods all around, which satisfied Team CFVY's leader. "Good. Professor Ozpin agreed to transfer her as a second year student, even though she missed the last four months of her first term."

"Well that's not so bad," Yang said. "At least you don't have to repeat a whole year, huh?"

"But it also means that she has to do some classes over, like history and biology. We don't share any classes until after lunch," Coco explained. "I was hoping to get you all to stick together."

"As if you have to ask," Ruby said with excitement. "Of course you can hang with us, Velvet – we'd be glad to have you!" Everyone agreed with her, and Adam saw no reservations among them.

"It makes sense," he said. "Winchester won't have an easy time getting his jollies if he's faced with an entire group."

"And what about you, Adam?" Coco asked. "Word is he's got a beef with you."

"It won't be the first time I've dealt with someone like him. I can handle it," he replied.

"And he won't have to do it alone," Yang said firmly. "Right, partner?" Adam was pleased, and he held up his fist, which she bumped it with one of her own.


End file.
